you can use combo like IQfeed + quotetracker- http://www.quotetracker.com/ data stream from iq goes to QP and from there you can do with it whatever you want,using Quotetracker API(which is free,but you will need to register QP($7 monthly,no big deal) http://www.quotetracker.com/help/QTStreamingAPI.shtml if you subscribe via QP link, realtime data from IQ will cost you 25$ ,delayed(you can download historical data too)-will be $20 $ http://www.iqfeed.net/QuoteTracker/index.cfm?displayaction=data§ion=fees so whole thing going to cost you <$35$ a month..not free,but better than nothing.in IQ feed ARCA is included,you don't have to pay separate fee,like in IB.
Unfortunately, DTN's "IQ-Feed" does not support level-2 quotes for NYSE and AMEX. Only Nasdaq. That sucks if you are a stock trader!
Has IB Demo data stopped working for TWS API? In the weekends, the edemo account is the only one available so I can't use the paper trading account for testing and debugging my excel automated systems. It used to work with excel if I used "edemo" instead of my user account, but now it doesn't work anymore. Does anyone know if it stopped working? Here's what I get now (yet I did "enable the DDE clients"):
Wait... if I access it from here, the excel workbook works fine! http://www.interactivebrokers.com/en/software/twsDisclaimer.php?ib_entity=llc&twsdemo=1 Ok, now it works on my workbook as well (not the twsdde.xls, which I used earlier) and it works even if I start the TWS application from the link on my desktop (rather than from the IB's web site link posted above). So it must have been some java files which I downloaded via the IB's link, that have made it work again. All solved. Luckily I didn't write an email to the IB guys at the address provided here: http://www.interactivebrokers.com/en/p.php?f=tws&p=d&ib_entity=llc
If you have good programming skills - don't start to walk on the Excel path. You will end up with unreadable and slow code. Go for one of the true programming languages that are supported with IB. (IB is probably the cheapest way to get into programming. As it was stated already you can withdraw most of the 10k after opening the account. Then you are left with 10$/mo - cheaper than IQ)