[lug] NTP server question

[Bear Giles]

On 9/6/2010 6:15 PM, David L. Anselmi wrote:
> John Dollison wrote:
>    
>> Yeah, right... so I did a Google search on NTP servers, and got a little wrapped around the axle
>> with Stratum 1 and 2 servers, getting permission to connect, etc.  I have a Comcast broadband
>> connection; don't they host time servers that I can connect to without getting anyone's
>> permission?
>>      
> I don't see anything on Google that tells me what Comcast's time servers are.  You should look at
> their support stuff and see if you can find them.  Or call and ask.
>
> If they don't provide time servers then use pool.ntp.org.  You might poke around and see if you can
> find a server you like from the pool and then use it.
>
> Why?  Because probably your router has only two slots to put in time servers and two is the wrong
> number.  See http://twiki.ntp.org/bin/view/Support/SelectingOffsiteNTPServers#Section_5.3.3. .
>
> You might want to watch the traffic from your modem and make sure it's behaving like a
> well-configured ntp client (it should eventually only poll every 1024s, for example).
>
> Or, you can configure a machine to get time from pool.ntp.org, use at least 4 time servers, and be
> well behaved.  Then point your router at it.
>
> Dave
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>    

The cable modem is often at 192.168.100.1 but it might not show its own 
NTP configuration.

As an aside having four sources would be a good thing if you absolutely 
need the legal time.  In fact I would go a lot further and have one of 
those time servers sitting in a GPS-based device on the roof.  (Hmm, 
sparkfun GPS kits?).

BTW does the average home (or even small office) user really need 4 
sources?