ntp won't select time server

So . . . are the externals running NTP 1, 2, 3, 4? TCP/UDP? That is, are you sure your machine can actually connect to them and get a time? Are they so far apart in time ( or is you server "fast") that your server won't slew its clock?

Good luck,
SteveJ

SteveJ,
Not sure what NTP version the servers are running.  Is there a command I can type to determine that information?  I would assume that it can get time updates based on the fact that it displays offset, dispersion, etc information.  Is that not necessarily true?

I'm not sure what you mean by "server won't slew its clock".  It seemed like the clock did come closer to the other servers' time, but neither were selected as time source (*).

Thanks

About the version . . . if your server is running NTP4 for example and the servers you are trying to connect to don't support NTP4 then you would have a problem. That said, that's not likely the issue.

What I mean by the slewing reference is . . . there are limits to how far back a server can go and update it's time. For example, if your server is 20 minutes behind the ntp source, your server will gradually "slew" its clock very gradually over time instead of simply jumping ahead 20 minutes. That kind of granularity (the slewing rate, whether or not to immediately jump ahead or back) is completely dependent on the NTP client. I don't have a lot of experience with Windows and NTP . . .  but I think you don't have much control over the default windows ntp client. You might download a different NTP client and play with it. Try this:

http://www.time.edu.cn/oneguy.htm

Good luck,
SteveJ

SteveJ,

Thanks for the comments.  I see what you mean about the slewing --- while slewing, though, should NTP denote wit the * which server it's slewing towards?  Or does it slowly change the system clock and then when it's closer, switch the * to a new time master?

Our NTP client is on a process control server in a manufacturing environment and may "slew" more slowly than I'd like.

I'm not actually sure what the answer to your question is. You might run a packet trace on the server and see if it's actually going to one of those two servers. As I said, I don't have much experience with windows and NTP, and I don't have access to a server similar to yours to "play" with.

It's actually been quite some time since I used automachron and I decided to check out the site . . . the link is broken. If you want to play with a pretty good ntp client, try this.

http://www.softpedia.com/progDownload/Automachron-Download-81738.html

You're welcome.

Good luck,
SteveJ

The problem with NTP synchronization to the outside world is the communications are often blocked by firewalls or NAT

To overcome this problem, download Symmtime on the PDCe and us it to synch your PDCe to an outside time server over port 80.

Symmtime was created by symmentricom, (a time server manufacturer).

ChiefIT . . . he's getting responses back from the NTP server. Clearly it's not being blocked by the firewall.

I downloaded the Symmetricom software and I really like how that functions and actually ADJUSTS the time for me, but unfortunately, because of the regulated computer environments, I probably won't be able to use it.  I guess I'm looking for a detailed explanation on how NTP chooses it's time source.  Sometimes it looks like NTP is adjusting to clock closer to one of the "=" time sources, even though it has the "*" on another source.  I just haven't been able to figure out its behavior.

I have another situation where NTP has chosen an external time source, which is preferable, but randomly will switch back to LOCAL(1) as master.  I check it again a bit later and it's back on the external source...very confusing and frustrating to figure out.

Thanks!

What port does Symmtime use to sync time then, if not on 123?