Quote from jedwards:
I'm very interested in this thread, but I'm a bit confused.
I have an IB account and I trade HSI. I'm based in the US.
1) When I place my trades, are the trades not being sent to the HK servers? What is the path of execution when I currently place a trade?
2) Does connecting directly to the HK servers give me better quotes?
3) When I place a buy-stop order is this order not stored with the exchange? If not, then would connecting directly to the HK servers make a difference? And if it is stored directly with the exchange, then will it not make a difference which server I'm connected to?
Thanks for any answers!
The primary reason to change your hosting to HK would be because you have problems with the midnight US reset.
Keeping things simple: If your account is hosted in the US then your order goes from your PC to our US hub and then gets sent to Hong Kong hub via our high speed line between US-HK. The HK hub is connected directly to the exchange.
If your account is hosted in HK. Then, your order is routed to our HK hub via your ISP. The HK hub is connected to the exchange.
The HK futures exchange only supports limit orders. Everything else is simulated, so a stop order will stay on our servers.
In regards to speed. Obviously if you are in HK, trading HK, then being hosted in HK will result in less latency in your orders.
Generally you are better to be on the hub that is nearest to you, and then rely on us to route your order. However, there are times when it's not a straightforward decision, for example if you are on the US West Coast trading HK. I've also seen ISP's in places like Thailand have faster routing to the US than to HK. In these cases, you may want to do some ping tests to determine it yourself.