CQG data for live trading.
Also have IQfeed data as well.
Yes, Sierra Charts
Also have IQfeed data as well.
Yes, Sierra Charts
What is important in a trading platform?
- Thread starter hpe
- Start date
I hope I am not bugging you with my questions. Thanks for what you have answered. One more question? Are you using NT7 or NT8? If you want to answer by pm that would be okay. Because I have one more question.
I was using NT7 but it was a complete waste of time. Wasted 2yrs chasing "issues" (NT freezing for literally hours at a time if it wasn't hard rebooted, and random crashes) that I was assured were on my end (ISP, internet cable, modem, computer
. Anything BUT NinjaTrader). Had ISP techs check everything their end 3 times, twice out to house, replaced computer and so on. Spent many times with NT support trying to "fix" whatever the mystery issues were. Nothing changed. (The bottle neck was NT). I finally got so sick of wasting time that I got Sierra Charts to try out and saw it worked fine while NT would freeze/crash on the same computer, data, ISP and all the rest. Now using NT8 in SIM mode for some of the 3rd party tools I can't get elsewhere and live trade through Sierra Charts. NT8 still crashes at random times (3-4 times a week) but nowhere near as frequently as NT7 used to. Its annoying when NT8 crashes but its not as if it can affect a live trade anymore. It looks nice and does a OK job of charting but it would have to really become STABLE before I'll ever consider going back to it for handling live market trades. Plus after comparing the execution speeds between NT and SC, I'd really need to see that addressed also.
Now setup a trading keyboard and use a AutoHotKey script to find the SC live platform and trigger live orders to it and it also finds the NT window and triggers the same SIM order to NT so I can see the same order levels on whatever chart/platform I need at the time.
Ask away anything else you want.
After all, there will never be a issue to address if the issue is never acknowledged. Magically "fixed" by denial of existence.
Well considering I have had NT support remote log in on at least 5 separate occasions and THEY have physically found, demonstrated AND replicated the issue I'm pretty confident in stating what I have stated as its from PERSONAL experience.
NT is fine for run of the mill things. If you happen to fall outside of the mean of the NT user group and your issues are more complex, you might find your left out in the cold. I've come across a few others in the same boat on forums. The reason there are not more is that it seems very few users bother to physically investigate the issues themselves once NT support tell them its a issue with the users "computer, ISP or internet cable". I've seen PLENTY of NT users with the same or similar symptoms that get this catch all reply.
When I first contacted my ISP and they checked out the network, they showed where the bottle neck was occurring as far as network related issues. They recommended I download "Pingplotteer" and "Multiping" to run real time and check what showed up myself whenever the NT platform used to freeze. Strange where the issue used to show up repeatedly because it had nothing to do with my "computer, ISP or internet cable".
As for the platform itself, to say that NT7 doesn't have KNOWN issues is just being disingenuous. The simple fact it would not utilize more then a single core is a KNOWN bottle neck for anyone who bothers to look into it for themselves. Yet for some strange reason its never highlighted when issues came up. I had a 3rd party vendor explain this single core issue to me after going around in circles for over 12mths and they said its a KNOWN issue but good luck ever hearing NT mention it to users.
At least NT8 addresses that major issue.
As for order executions, just line up a couple of different platforms running on live broker feeds and execute live orders through them all at the same time (Using Hotkeys works well for this). Extra broker data connections only cost $15-20/mth for each one and is a small price to pay to check if your getting reasonable execution times. Test the fill times in low and high volume market times over a few days/weeks and see if there is any difference. I've seen visible differences. Will that be the same outcome for everyone? I wouldn't know as I've only tested what happens in relation to MY fills.
I'm not asking anyone to just "believe" what I found in relation to my fills, people should go and PHYSICALLY check for themselves if it might be a issue in their case. $20 for 1 mth for a extra data connection is nothing if we are possibly dealing with repeated slippage and slow fills.
I never said NT doesn't work. It works for most users most of the time BUT it also has some MAJOR issues for SOME users.
I'm not bashing NT for the sake of it, I actually BELIEVED in NT, purchased a multi-broker license and invested heaps into 3rd party add ons. It took a LOT for me to walk away from the platform (for live trading). I persisted with it for 2yrs before finally biting the bullet.
I'm happy NT works fine for you, that's great!
That's not been MY experience though.
What's that bit in the trading disclaimers we see everywhere.....
"Past results are not necessarily indicative of future results."
Seems fitting in this case in regards to BOTH of our claims Re - NT.
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IF NINJATRADER HAS SO MANY USERS WITHOUT GLITCHES THEN WHY ARE YOU HAVING SO MANY ISSUES????
Of course there are going to be people out there with the same problems, no software is perfect. I downloaded NT7 and used it for 6 months without having to contact NT once.
What about ur 3rd party add-ons?
3rd party add ons were the FIRST thing support pointed to. Fresh install running 2 charts with ONLY NT7 inbuilt indicators and it would STILL freeze whenever large volume hit the market. VOLUME IS THE KEY TO THE FREEZING ISSUE. It causes the 2 bottle necks with NT7 to come to the surface.
You would not believe the hours I spent trying EVERYTHING NT support told me to do... REPEATEDLY... The SAME things OVER and OVER!
Then it was the my computer must not have been powerful enough and that was causing the issues. 8 core 4.7GHz, 32gb RAM, SSD's and STILL NT7 freezing...... must be the computer......
Your under the assumption that IF it works for x amount of users but not for a few outside the mean that the issue lies with the user. That is the EXACT approach NT took as well (Which I understand UP TO a point). I literally spent 16mths trying ALL combinations, all fixes, replaced computer... ALL resulted in the same outcome. NT would freeze but other platforms on the SAME computer, SAME data, SAME internet would continue to run fine. I even loaded SC up with 35 charts FULL of indicators AND run a 2nd instance of SC loaded down with indicators and not once did it freeze while NT7 would freeze for hours on end if it wasn't killed and restarted.
I would have done well over 200 fresh NT7 installs, have even gone to the length of replacing HDD's just in case there was a issue. None of it fixed NT7 from freezing whenever high volume hit.
Its not up to ME to answer why I had so many issues, that was the WHOLE point of contacting SUPPORT in the 1st place.... You know, to get SUPPORT for a issue with a provided service. After all, I'm not the one SELLING the service. I covered my end extremely well. I replaced computer - custom built high end for trading (Cost $$$$), I had a tech out to house to check internet connection (Cost $$$), had a computer tech out to house 2 times to check it over (Cost $$$) talked to ISP techs a couple of times and got them to check the network from their end, run ALL the tests and changes that NT support instructed me to PLUS many others myself trying to get to the bottom of it (Cost me lots of TIME). Really, how much more can be expected that the end user do.... reprogram the whole platform from the ground up as well?
I PHYSICALLY checked each and every item that support pointed to as a potential "fault". Once those have been ruled out, that ONLY leaves 1 thing remaining.
I'm no programmer and I'm not being PAID to fault find a service I have paid for. Once I have checked EVERYTHING my end that it could "normally" be, the onus passes BACK to the service provider to discover WHY THEIR SERVICE may be having issues. I was MORE then patient and spent countless hours trying different things as requested.
It LITERALLY wasted 2 yrs of trading time going around in circles. That's MY time and MY money I NEVER get back!
After the USER has checked their end, the question is NOT "why am I having so many issues", it SHOULD be "why does NT work for most but sometime has major errors for a few." Then a PRO-ACTIVE approach can be taken at the platform development level who DO have the skills and expertise to find the issue/s. But of course that then means spending money to address a issue that only currently effects a relatively minor few of the entire user base.
(Do you remember those cars back in the 70's from memory. NOTHING wrong with them, they run well, were nice. They just had a bit of a issue when rear ended in a crash and the fuel tank had a habit of exploding and incinerating the occupants. So to "fix" it,................... the company told customer to just not get into any accidents where the car would be rear ended. Actually, they didn't even do that, they had done the calculations and it was cheaper to pay out on the projected resulting deaths instead of doing a recall and FIXING the issue. http://content.time.com/time/specials/2007/article/0,28804,1658545_1658498_1657866,00.html )
For all I know, there could be some compatibility issue with NT7 and some brand/type of hardware/software.
Or it could be lack of servers, or there could be gremlins in the code for all I know. That is FAR out of the scope of a user tracking down and identifying such issues with zero expertise in the field.
The point is that as the USER, once all the normal possible faults have been checked and found NOT to be the cause, then its up to someone with the expertise needed to look elsewhere. NOT just take the position that it couldn't be the product at all so keep endlessly looking on your end, going around in circles and never finding ANY solution.
User purchases a product or service, user is told MINIMUM requirements to meet. User meets those.
Product doesn't work.
But its the USERS problem.?.?.?.?......
There are many things that are important when using any type of trading platform. It really depends on the trader and his needs in the platform. I look for easy order entry and set ups for brackets. An easy to use DOM where I can modify my trades easily are essential when scalping the markets.
Consistent profits are the aim for any trader but many of the things that are important when choosing any type of online trading platform. It basically depends on the trader requirements in the platform. The reliability of a platform should be more of a concern than its look and feel.