When preparing an 8 o'clock order for NXT (Nextrade), it's easy to think, "I set my computer clock accurately, so I'll be the fastest," but in reality, there are significant differences due to the structural limitations of network media and time synchronization.
1. Departure times may be the same, but arrival times differ (wired vs. wireless)
Wired (LAN): Since signals travel through physical cables, the delay time (1~5ms) is very short and constant.
Wireless (Wi-Fi/5G): Due to radio interference and signal conversion processes, the basic delay (5~30ms or more) is longer, and if momentary ping spikes or packet loss occurs, retransmission delays the order arrival.
2. Wireless requires multiple OS synchronizations, resulting in a few seconds difference
Even if you repeatedly press the time synchronization button in Windows, if packet loss occurs due to wireless characteristics, the OS will consider the data unreliable and cancel the time correction. Also, since the OS adjusts the time very slowly rather than changing it all at once, it is common for the actual server time to differ by 5 seconds or more in a wireless environment.
3. You cannot directly synchronize your PC clock with the securities company server clock
Server unavailable: Securities companies do not allow external users to directly synchronize (NTP) with their server clocks due to security concerns.
Round trip error: Even if you match it with an external standard time server, the internet round-trip time (RTT) changes every moment, so it is impossible to perfectly match the securities company server down to 1/1000th of a second (millisecond).
4. Difference between DMA and colocation (automation algorithms)
Professional traders use colocation (Co-location) and DMA (Direct Market Access) to place automated orders in microseconds (1 millionth of a second). On the other hand, individual users placing manual orders at 8 o'clock using PCs or smartphones (Wi-Fi) from home are structurally disadvantaged in speed competition with them due to initial time errors and wireless latency.
