[ntp:questions] Quick sync between two computers not connected to the internet

Joseph Gwinn joegwinn at comcast.net
Wed Mar 24 12:53:15 UTC 2010


In article <7C492E13-48C4-4B06-84EA-81E4E6596CA7 at mac.com>,
 Chuck Swiger <cswiger at mac.com> wrote:
> 
> In most cases, it is easier to solve the problem of sync'ing all computers to 
> a correct timesource (and thus all be mutually in sync), then it is to setup 
> a bunch of truly & completely isolated machines which happen to stay in sync. 
>  If I really had to solve the latter problem, I would likely connect the 
> machines to a valid NTP timesource long enough to calibrate each machines' 
> intrinsic drift from realtime, and then run time in standalone mode against 
> their local clock.

How good does the timekeeping need to be?  Was the max error ever stated?

Anyway, what I have done in such situations is to anoint a freewheeling ordinary 
workstation as the "NTP Timeserver" (trumpet flare please), and have everybody 
else synch to it.  Synch to external time is by eyeball and wistwatch.  This 
approach does keep them all together, but their sense of time is a good 
indicator of the local temperature wherever that anointed workstation is 
installed.

That said, it is admittedly an approach taken only in desperation, and GPS-based 
NTP timeservers are cheap - just buy the box, install it on the network, and 
point everybody to it.

Joe Gwinn




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