[ntp:questions] Windows time question.

unruh unruh at wormhole.physics.ubc.ca
Wed Apr 20 15:20:21 UTC 2011


On 2011-04-20, DaveB <g8kbv at uko2.co.uk> wrote:
> Hi All.
>
> Due to my wandering use of a laptop for, "work" (cough!)   Often away 
> from the office, and our server, but with local internet access (Hotel 
> WiFi etc).
>
> What UK based "RELIABLE" (cant emphasize that enough) UK time server(s) 
> would the group recomend I point Windows time sync' to?

I presume this means you are using ntpd on Windows. If you mean the
native windows time keeping, then all bets are off. 

>
> At the moment, I've told it to use the UK pool, but from the random 
> errors I get, I suspect not all the pool servers are happy with a 
> Windows box (XP SP3) using them.

Use the pool. The servers have no idea what is using them. An ntp
datagram is an ntp datagram, no matter where it comes from. The only
thing they would be unhappy about is if your system is not using ntp.

>
> http://support.microsoft.com/kb/223184
> Has the registry entry details.
>
> Also relating to the command line function "net time":-
>
> C:\Program Files\Support Tools>net time /querysntp
> The current SNTP value is: uk.pool.ntp.org
>
> and the dialog in the toolbar time setting tool.  (Internet Time tab.)
>
> At the mo as above I have  uk.pool.ntp.org  setup, and 
> "DailySpecialSkew" selected.
>
> According to MS, at first it tries once every 45 mins, when one good 
> sync is found, it then drops to once a day

OK, so you are using some MS abortion. Why not install ntpd onto your
system. 


>
> but as above, sometimes the pool server that responds seems to do 
> something odd, and kill (or seriously destabilize) W32Time as a result.
>
> At least, looking in the system error and info logs, after recovering 
> from a lockup, it's related to W32Time going bad, not long after first 
> boot of the day.
>
> Using this same machine at home, it hapily uses either of my NTP servers 
> (one, Meinberg on Win2k, and the other on FreeBSD) there are no issues.
>
> And in the office, it will of course happily use the office server if 
> told to.
>
> Idea's brickbats etc welcome...
>
> Regards.
>
> DaveB.




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