[ntp:questions] NTP not synchronizing to server

Richard B. Gilbert rgilbert88 at comcast.net
Sat Jan 6 20:22:48 UTC 2007


george_joby wrote:

> Hi
> 
> I am trying to configure NTP for Redhat Linux AS 4 update 4 running in
> DL585 with Windows Server 2003.
> My ntp is no longer synchronizing with the servers specified in
> ntp.conf
> 
> Client: Redhat Linux ntp.conf
> 
> server 172.16.0.201 prefer
> 
<big snip>

The server address you mention is on an RFC-1918 private network and 
presumably it's your local network or you wouldn't be able to reach it 
at all!  It is serving its local clock.  It is claiming stratum one 
which is a very dangerous thing to do.  Please, please, NEVER connect 
this mess to the internet; somebody might believe that stratum 1!

If you MUST serve your local clock, "fudge" it to stratum 10 like this:
#
# Declare the local clock to be the clock of last resort.
# It will be used to serve time in the absence of any other.
#
server 127.127.1.0              # Local clock, unit 0
fudge 127.127.1.0 stratum 10


Your client does not believe the server because the server is serving an 
unsychronized local clock that has NEVER been synchronized.

NTP is a hierarchical protocol.  The root of the hierarchy is supposed 
to be an atomic clock somewhere.  If you are unable to connect to the 
internet, the latest version of ntpd supports an "orphan mode" which 
might work for you.  See the documentation; I've never needed it and 
can't tell you how to configure it.  Orphan mode will not give you the 
correct time; it just makes everyone synchronize to whatever incorrect 
time you happen to have.

What I can tell you is that what you are doing will never work!




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