[lug] Network time

[Tkil]

note that an excellent source of information on this topic (which time
servers to use when and where) is off the xntpd page, as someone else
already mentioned:

   http://www.eecis.udel.edu/~ntp/

it's worth noting that most large ISPs and corporations have their own
internal clocks that are in turned synched off low-strata servers.
they are usually called "time" or "ntp", in much the same way that
"www" and"mail" are common host names for machines serving those
functions.  e.g.:

   $ host time.frii.net
   time.frii.net has address 216.17.128.1   
   $ ntpdate -q time.frii.net
   server 216.17.128.1, stratum 2, offset -0.102857, delay 0.39268
    7 Dec 23:27:36 
   ntpdate[17335]: adjust time server 216.17.128.1 offset -0.102857 sec

   $ host time.verinet.com
   Host not found.
   $ host ntp.verinet.com
   ntp.verinet.com has address 216.17.128.1
   $ ntpdate -q ntp.verinet.com
   server 216.17.128.1, stratum 2, offset 0.051965, delay 0.07446
    7 Dec 23:29:09
   ntpdate[17347]: adjust time server 216.17.128.1 offset 0.051965 sec

   $ host time.fc.hp.com
   time.fc.hp.com mail is handled (pri=50) by hpfcla.fc.hp.com
   time.fc.hp.com mail is handled (pri=100) by palsmtp.hp.com
   time.fc.hp.com mail is handled (pri=100) by atlsmtp.hp.com
   time.fc.hp.com mail is handled (pri=10) by time.fc.hp.com
   $ ntpdate -q time.fc.hp.com
   server 15.11.161.227, stratum 0, offset 0.000000, delay 0.00000
    7 Dec 23:30:38 ntpdate[17402]: no server suitable for synchronization found

and so on.  i recall that uswest had a pretty sophisticated internal
NTP network set up.

t.