[ntp:questions] Wireless Routers and NTP

Richard B. Gilbert rgilbert88 at comcast.net
Wed Nov 28 18:08:34 UTC 2007


Rob Kimberley wrote:
> "Richard B. Gilbert" <rgilbert88 at comcast.net> wrote in message 
> news:474DA691.9030407 at comcast.net...
> 
>>Rob Kimberley wrote:
>>
>>>Does anyone have recommendations for an ADSL Wireless Router that I can 
>>>manually set the NTP Server address on? My Belkin unit comes 
>>>pre-configured with external server addresses. I want to use my own one 
>>>here (Meinberg LanTime), as doing some tests on NTP jitter over wireless, 
>>>and want all PCs and Router to be taking time from same source.
>>>
>>>Cheers
>>>
>>>Rob Kimberley
>>>
>>>
>>
>>Routers generally do not do NTP in any way, shape, or form!  They don't 
>>need to know the time!  Expensive professional level (Cisco) routers can 
>>act as NTP servers or clients but using them in that way is not 
>>recommended.  There have been a couple of moderately infamous exceptions; 
>>e.g. Netgear and D-Link.  (Google for Netgear and Wisconsin or D-Link and 
>>PHK)
>>
>>If what you want is for the router's built in DHCP server to provide an 
>>NTP server address it may be possible but I don't know of a router that 
>>does that.  The DHCP protocol does allow a query for an NTP server address 
>>so it should be possible.  It's possible that a router might forward such 
>>a request and the reply.  I don't know of one that does; I've been using 
>>the same clunky old LinkSys BEFSR81 for many years now and haven't looked 
>>at the consumer router market lately.
> 
> 
> I checked the Help File on my Belkin, which gave the following:-
> Time and Time Zone
> The Router keeps time by connecting to a Simple Network Time Protocol (SNTP) 
> server. This allows the Router to synchronize the system clock to the global 
> Internet. The synchronized clock in the Router is used to record the 
> security log and control client filtering. Select the time zone that you 
> reside in. If you reside in an area that observes Daylight Saving, then 
> place a checkmark in the box next to "Enable Daylight Saving". The system 
> clock may not update immediately. Allow at least 15 minutes for the router 
> to contact the time servers on the Internet and get a response. You cannot 
> set the clock yourself.
> 
> The last sentence is the problem - I want to manually set. 
> 
> 

Buy a different router!  Or talk to the vendor about a custom version of 
the firmware (EXPENSIVE!!!).

Why do you feel that your router needs to know the time?




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