[ntp:questions] Peer's stratum is less than Host's stratum

Richard B. Gilbert rgilbert88 at comcast.net
Thu Dec 7 17:50:03 UTC 2006


jjxjjx wrote:
> Help!
> 
> i got this message when trying to sync system clocks on win 2003.
> 
> Using ethereal i see packets between client and server.
> Client is intruducing itself as Client but has Stratum 1
> Server is intruducing itself as Server bu has Stratum 15
> We configured server with some NTP server tool that has reference to
> Local System time on server.
> 
> 
> Is it possible to force stratum on machine?
> 

Your server has stratum 15 because it is not synchronized!!  No idea why 
your client is claiming stratum 1; it should not be unless it is being 
synchronized by a hardware reference clock.

NTP was not designed to synchronize clocks to each other.  It was 
designed to synchronize clocks to UTC.  That clients have the same time 
is a happy consequence of the postulate "things equal to the same thing 
are equal to each other"!

The most recent version of ntpd supports an "orphan mode" for use in 
isolated networks.  It don't know how to configure it; see the 
documentation (links at http://www.ntp.org/)

If you insist on abusing the tool, the ready made "solution" is to 
configure your "server" as a client of the the "client" that is claiming 
stratum 1.  Of course this will break if the "client" ever stops 
claiming a stratum it is not entitled to.   And PLEASE do not connect 
this mess to the internet!!!  (Somebody might believe that bogus stratum 1!)






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