[ntp:questions] Re: how many servers should I poll?

Brad Knowles brad.knowles at skynet.be
Fri Aug 8 16:57:26 UTC 2003


At 10:18 AM +0000 2003/08/08, David J Taylor wrote:

>  You could try:
>
>  - tracert to find your nearest router
>  - an NTPQ to that router and see if it will talk to you

	I suggest *not* doing this, unless the owner of that router 
specifically tells you to use it as an NTP server.  My understanding 
is that most routers implement NTP on an internal low-power 
general-purpose processor, which is frequently overloaded for other 
operations.  This means that you may get really crappy NTP service 
while other functions are performed, or other important functions may 
be dropped so that you can get better NTP service.

	Routers are designed to route packets in one interface and out 
another, as quickly as physically possible.  They are *not* designed 
to accept packets, process them locally, and then generate a 
response.  If you try to abuse them for that kind of function, you 
are likely to be very sorely disappointed.

>  I bet their technical arm _is_ running NTP!

	Indeed, but probably not on their routers.

-- 
Brad Knowles, <brad.knowles at skynet.be>

"They that can give up essential liberty to obtain a little temporary
safety deserve neither liberty nor safety."
     -Benjamin Franklin, Historical Review of Pennsylvania.

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