I Have been using IB for years. I previously used MB Realtick. When I first ran them side by side they were for the most part (in sink) I began to notice when the market was moving FAST IB was able to keep up when MB would lag for several seconds. I was able to capitalize on this for a few years. The last Year or so I have needed other feeds to keep up with the market. ??? Is it because IB is now offering so much more (bells and whistles) then they were in the past ?
When I first started using IB two years ago, I noticed the same thing. IB quotes were about 1 second faster than my QCharts when updating quotes . It was great! All I wanted was the speed and cheap commission. With all these whiners complaining about getting all these extra features like level 2, IB has gotten slower. IB TWS is more bloated now but it still works. Or maybe it's because they got a much bigger customer base now.
I have been trading with IB and RealTick side by side for 3 years and at times in the past IB quote would lag so far behind the quote shown on RealTick for a fast moving stock that there was no way I could trade the stock if IB quotes were all I had. However, IB's quote servers were separate from IB's order placement servers which meant I often (but not always) could still place accurate orders through IB's order servers using the up to date quotes from RealTick. When and if the high volume fast moving markets return, we will find out how well IB's quote servers hold up. Many foreign investors do not like what they see with the USA's politics and have voted with their feet and pulled their money out of the USA never to return. I am getting off the subject, but I think it will be perhaps another 15 years before the USA markets move into the uncharted territory of another great bull market (I remember the 18 years it took after the 73 - 74 bear market), so it could be a while before IB's quote system gets a real stress test. Catoosa
They didn't vote, they got out to put their money in more profitable places. They will be back when the markets turn around and it won't be that long after Iraq II. Max
Maxpi: I hope your forecast is better than my doomsday forecast. My forecast even depresses me. Catoosa
Whose quotes for the ES for instance is faster than IB. I have a fast connection and have not seen evidence of your claims here.