more likely there is an internet interruption e.g. data feed from the exchanges what is a timely manner in a fast moving market? there is no retail trading desk capable of handling a massive inflow of calls in a timely manner.
Inclement weather is a real problem. Did you try turning your smart phone into a hotspot? I use that as a back up. And I bought business class internet fwiw.
Primary connection wired, backup mobile (3G/4G). Mobile towers have generators in most places. Also good to live in a place that has diesel generators in the basement.
There are times when you need to call. For me it was getting the security card shipped to me, I don't remember why exactly but I needed to call in.
During the GFC I only had one ISP. Because of the volatility, it was not unusual for me to have 15-20+ open orders at a time. My ISP went down and I was a bit freaked. Oddly, the fills I got during the outage were in my favor. Murphy's Law dictates that such fortune should not occur. Since then, I have carried two ISPs and consider the add'l fee to be the price of peace of mind.
murphy's law works in reverse for traders. most trader's would be more profitable if their ISP were down 95%of the day.
This isn't and has never been IB's model. Also - if you need general advice on options strategy from your broker, you're asking for trouble IMHO.
I agree. I didn't mean general advice like "what's the difference between a put and a call or how do I put on a vertical spread?" but I can see how you interpret my comment that way. Just comparing and contrasting. And I believe Lightspeed offers discount rates as well equal to IB or better. I'm speaking about the level of customer service. At the same commission rate or cheaper.