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After running my autotrade strategy in simulation with NinjaTrader and Kineticks datafeed for 4 weeks, I went live with my IB account yesterday. I did not realize that any occasional data disconnection from IB could cause major issues. Now, in the back of my mind, I am expecting another datafeed disconnection from IB, and I have to sit in front of the screen like before. Any suggestions from fellow traders? Switching brokers to where?
Can you help answer these questions from other members on NexusFi?
It's always recommended to have two different brokers, two different machines, and a strategy B able to hedge the strategy A, if A has lost communication.
But you're not supposed to loose IB feed, the data quality is poor, but it's quite reliable.
No, I do not use IB datafeed to trade, I meant I am using Kineticks as datafeed but the connection to IB got lost (the green connection box turned red on the Control Center page), and the orders got out of sync. It was a shocker when it happened the first time
also on NT control center did you check on strategies -> NinjaScript->On connectin loss. NT is able to reconnect automatically several times. What you can do is build a routine (via autohotkey for example) that reads cyclely your NT trace file and when you get a connection lost error sends you an sms or email via skype. If you are away from your computer and received an sms you can use Teamviewer , connect to your computer and reset your strategy.
That beeing said it is not a good idea to leave your computer and let your strat alone, you should not conceive automated strategies to leave your desk but rather to let the computer do the boaring part and execute your rules w/o psychological interference (last but not least the sms could be delayed or you could be in an out of reach mobile zone)
Doesn't your strategy use stop losses? If you use a stop loss, that is actually sent to IB, not simulated stop that is held on your computer, you should not have major issues. If you lose connection, maybe that trade management will not occure as programmed, but your stop loss at IB, should protect you from catastrophe.
Thanks, you are right, the stoploss orders stay at IB, but when the connection is lost, new trades from NT cannot go to IB, obviously. Opportunity lost.
This is not an issue that is specific to IB, it is a generic issue. I have IB and Mirus, sometimes I get occasional disconnects on both. As long as you are dealing with this kind of technology, you will have glitches. Now, if you are saying that TWS is disconnecting frequently on a daily basis, while all your other internet connected programs don't experience any disconnection, then there is something wrong with TWS.
Actually this time, TWS did not give a 'pink screen'. The marketdata USA from IB got 'disconnected', and since I was trading 6E on NT, the green box of 'connected to IB' turned red on NT's control center page. Like I said, it happened on my first day going live, and it was a shocker. But I agree with you, these are glitches we have to deal with regardless of which broker you trade.