Colocation FAQ’s

FAQ’s

Why should I be colocated? and how does it help me as a trader?
Most traders that trade from home face a serious issue that our colocation services have been designed to resolve. These issues include not being filled on the fast trades, being slipped on entries and exits and receiving bad fills with market orders. With a colocated server, you can mitigate these issues. You can enter your order before others and get filled on those trades. It will allow for more speed and speed means less slippage on your entries and exits and with less slippage you can save money. Our colocation services bring you closer to every opportunity, because every tick counts.

What are average ping times?

We have seen very fast ping rates for Windows virtual machines. They range from 400 – 800 microsecoonds 80% of the time. Slower ping times will be due to virtualized Windows latency. For dedicated servers at Equinix ping times are more reliable, however it can be approx. 1 millisecond slower.

Do I have to be an EOTPRO client to lease a colocated server?

No, you do not have to be an EOTPRO analysis client to lease one of our servers.

Top 10 reasons why you need to trade with a colocated server

  1. Faster fills
  2. Faster exits
  3. Less slippage
  4. Faster execution when using market and limit orders
  5. Your tick to trade latency is reduced significantly on some popular trading platforms
  6. You will be in the same building as some of the popular data feed providers and trade execution handlers, again reducing your latency
  7. You can save up to 100 milli-seconds each way, depending on your location
  8. You will have a safe and reliable connection (your server will be monitored by network engineers 24/7 – 365 days / year)
  9. Connectivity is key in achieving top speed. We give you 2 choices, depending on what you trade, to get you as close to the matching engine as possible, for unparalleled speed and lowest possible latency
  10. These servers are designed for high speed market connectivity.

Advantages of being fast

  • Get filled on the trades that used to run away from you.
  • Experience less slippage when executing orders, every single tick counts.
  • A small advantage of a tick can add up to a huge amount over a period of time.
  • Getting your orders in the market before everyone else, this gives you an advantage.
  • The low latency at the Aurora Data Center allows you arbitraging opportunities that were previously unavailable.
  • See the retail order flow before most traders and make your trading decisions faster.

Colocation as an enhancement for EOTPRO systems

We have a recommended enhancement to the NCEP systems package. Trade from inside the Chicago Equinix building which is very close to the ICE matching engines or from inside the Aurora Data Center where the Globex matchings currently sit. Speed means better fills and less slippage. That makes you money.

If you are serious about achieving maximum results with any trading software, then you will need to lease a colocated server at the Equinix building in Chicago or the Aurora Data Center . The main purpose of colocation is to reduce latency when placing trades, and also to lower the time it takes to receive buy, sell and money management signals from our broadcast server at the Equinix and Aurora Data Center. It’s like having your personal computer right beside the CME. It’s more important than you think.

Where should you be colocated?

  1. Aurora Data Center You should be colocated here if you trade CME Globex products such as ES, NQ, CL, 6E, GC etc. The trading matching engines are located inside the Aurora building and allow for the lowest latency connectivity possible for all products traded on the CME Globex platform.
  2. EQUINIX Data Center You should be colocated here if you use Zenfire and you trade Globex products. If you are a Rithmic client and you trade the Russell – TF this is the fastest place to be colocated.

Aurora Data Center benefits

For the Windows OS we achieve a very high ratio of fast to slow ping times. Most are between 400 – 800 microseconds (0.4-0.8 millisecond)

  • Servers are inside the Aurora Data Center, along with the matching engine itself.
  • Full version of Windows server 2012 64bit standard

How do I connect? This is how it works (it’s really easy!)

You will use your home computer to access your powerful remote server, via a program called Remote Desktop Connection (RDC) that is built into your home Windows OS. You will load your software and platform on this remote server and when you’re ready, log in and turn your strategies and systems on.
When your systems fire a trade, you will gain an even further advantage with faster connectivity to the matching engines. (see 1 minute “how to connect to a server” video here)

VPS restrictions

To preserve connection speed and to be fair to all users, we ask that you load one trading platform on the VPS. We also ask that all computationally intensive calculations like backtesting and optimization be done on other hardware. We are dedicated to providing a quality product to all of our customers. Service to servers are handled by technicians 24/7/365, in the event of a hardware failure.

How does this differentiate EOTPRO from the competition?

Many companies offer a colocation solution, however, our service is specifically catered for traders that wish to be as close as possible to the exchange. Speed and proximity matters. Our servers are located inside the same data center as many of the main matching engines and this puts us on the same playing field as the big boys.

Which other EOTPRO products would complement this solution?

Our NCEP trading systems would complement the colocation service.

Colocation Terms and Conditions

  • Please be aware that you are 100% responsible for your trades and EOTPRO Developments Inc. takes no responsibility for losses incurred for network or hardware failure while using our remote servers.
  • By leasing / subscribing to the remote servers you agree to all EOTPRO Disclaimers and Terms of Use.
  • You also agree to the EOTPRO Privacy Policy
  • You are also in agreement and have read the FA Risk Disclosure Document
  • In the event you are in a trade and the network or server goes down, you will be given access to a client portal (at Equinix) to allow you to reboot the remote server. This action will shut down any trading platforms or strategies you may have running and restart Windows Server 2008 / 2012.
  • You are also 100% responsible for contacting the trade desk at your brokerage to check for any positions you may be in.
  • Trading and all trades are 100% your responsibility.
  • These servers are designed for high speed market connectivity. They are not designed to stream audio and other content.
  • Please note – The server has a new install of Windows and requires that all Windows updates be done before loading any trading platforms. We do not support Windows in any way, so please contact Microsoft if you have any questions.
  • Please note – Due to hardware upgrades the specs are subject to change, however, you will be provided with the same or equivalent server specification.
  • Our support line hours are 24/7/365. A 24 hour support email address and number will also be provided to you when you sign up.
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