[ntp:questions] Re: Peer to Peer

David Woolley david at djwhome.demon.co.uk
Mon Sep 26 20:37:34 UTC 2005


In article <wfVZe.2791$KQ5.2144 at newssvr12.news.prodigy.com>,
Mark St Laurent <stormrunner'_removethis'@comcast.net> wrote:

> My authoritative server would be my ciso router that does sync with stratum 
> 2 time source then broadcasts to the LAN. I also found this post entitled 

W32Time does not support broadcast [S]NTP.

> to peer. I have trouble believing that windows peer configured machines have 
> no native way to sync with NTP broadcasts. Also I see additional post 

Peer Windows networks can't use kerberos and don't have revenue generating
server machines in them.  The only reason for W32Time is to support
kerberos.

Please remember that a product like Windows XP tends to be a single
product with some parameter tweaks and parts disabled to produce versions
that can be sold for different amounts of money.  Providing central
time services is one of those things that gets enabled by paying more money
for the server version.

I have a feeling that the only nobbling for XP is in not automatically
configuring the server address.

> mentioning free client obviously third party implementation what is the 
> concensus on most used NTP Client for this and how would it be preferable to 
> what was discussed previously.

It's arguably a first party implementation as it is the reference implementation
of NTP which other valid implementations strive to emulate.

The advantages are:

- it implements the protocol it claims to implement correctly;
- it implements the full NTP protocol so for Windows will hold the time in
  synch to around 20ms most of the time (rather better on other OSes);
- it supports broadcast mode.

W32Time does none of these.

Except for those with an axe to grind about their pet *S*NTP client, I think
you will find there is unanimous agreement that you should use the
reference implementation.  The only real question is which particular
Windows port to use.

Note, it seems the subject refers to the structure of the Windows network,
not to the structure of the time distribution network.




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