[ntp:questions] NTP driving me nuts!

[Danny Mayer]

JCA wrote:
>      The ntp.conf configuration files of A and B are identical:
> 
> server  127.127.1.0
> fudge   127.127.1.0 stratum 10
> server        192.168.0.1
> # server reloj.kjsl.com
> 
> driftfile /etc/ntp/drift
> multicastclient                 # listen on default 224.0.1.1

The multicast address is required in order for it to receive multicast
packets. See html/confopt.html. If you aren't doing authentication of
the server you need to turn it off:
disable auth


> broadcastdelay  0.008
> 
>     192.168.0.1 is the IP address of C in my LAN. In the ntpq traces
> above B's ntp.conf file was using
> 
>     server reloj.kjsl.com

Does DNS resolve this to the same address?

> 
> rather than
> 
>    server 192.168.0.1
> 
>     C's ntp.conf configuration file:
> 
> server  127.127.1.0     # local clock
> fudge   127.127.1.0 stratum 10
> 
> server reloj.kjsl.com
> server ntp1.sf-bay.org
> 
> driftfile /var/run/ntp.drift
> 

Is C not a multicast server? If not is there another server serving as a
multicast server? Otherwise, either turn off the multicastclient in A
and B or add the broadcast address line to C's ntp.conf.

>    If in A's and B's configuration files I use the line
> 
>    server reloj.kjsl.com
> 
> instead of
> 
>   server 192.168.0.1
> 
> then A and B keep the time all right. C keeps the time all right with
> the configuration file above.
> 

Is reloj.kjsl.com on that address or a different address? If it's the
same address as C then you need to remove that line from C's configuration.

>    Interestingly, I have another Linux box D in my LAN that seems to
> be keeping in sync with C with the following ntp.conf file:
> 
> restrict default ignore
> restrict 192.168.0.1 mask 255.255.255.255 nomodify notrap noquery
> 
> restrict 127.0.0.1
> 
> server 192.168.0.1
> fudge   127.127.1.0 stratum 10
> 
> driftfile /var/lib/ntp/drift
> broadcastdelay  0.008

This has no effect for a system not acting as a broadcast/multicast client.

> 
> authenticate yes
> keys            /etc/ntp/keys

Do you have keys set up to authenticate? If so you need "enable auth"
and not "authenticate yes".

> 
>    I could of course change A's and B's ntp.conf files accordingly and
> see what happens. However, were this to lead to A and B synchronizing
> with C all right, it still would not explain why A and B had been
> synchronizing with C with no problems until recently.

You network may have changed or a firewall may have been added or DNS
has changed.

Danny