Cut down on relying on network time servers for synchronization!
Cut down on relying on network time servers for synchronization!
There are an excessive number of NTP servers. In my view. To add: For numerous systems, the Linux-based NTP pool—managed by volunteers—contains around 4,400 computers, roughly. They claim their service is growing steadily and require increasingly more servers to maintain performance. My perspective is that nearly all desktop PCs can operate smoothly without network time synchronization. If we instead manually adjust our clocks using wall clocks, ovens, smartphones, or other devices, it would be perfectly sufficient. How much effort would it take to check clocks on a wall clock, microwave, oven, coffee maker, watch, or vehicle radio and align your system time? Picture the reduced need for these servers! So greatly less demand we’d experience that we might only need a single server, if at all, using it only when necessary. We could eliminate the necessity of hundreds of thousands of servers by having every forum member and visitor disable network time sync with just one click. What are your thoughts?
I'm pretty sure I can align my PC with the modem's time source... which clearly connects to some central server. Doesn't seem like it's worth the effort now? Now, if you're skilled in adjusting virus update settings so they don't trigger too far ahead, I'm all in! It's a solid approach, though reality shows computers struggle to keep accurate time. My laptop stays offline most of the time, and after a few months the clock drifts by 20 to 60 minutes—even though it never fully powers off.
None of these timepieces are precise. The main issue is this. If your microwave runs a minute ahead compared to yours, yet your coffee maker lags 46 seconds behind your radio’s clock, what does that mean? Clock drift is the root cause. Another reason you need regular updates is that even if you enter the right time now, most devices will begin to lose accuracy over time because their internal rates vary.
It's not about the work involved. How do you ensure every clock is both precise and aligned? You need a way to confirm they stay coordinated with each other and with all other clocks in the system. Without a central connection or synchronization method, it becomes impossible. For many clocks, this setup adds complexity and potential issues. Why would you rely on numerous NTP servers when simpler solutions exist? Not my concern—I'd prefer my computer's clock to be correct. Feel free to turn off NTP if you wish.
yeah, but that's regress... our kitchen oven is pretty old and has obviously no internet connection and the digital clock is off by maybe 2 or 3 minutes/ per year... i also remember analog clocks were pretty accurate, like a minute or two in a couple of months... thats not really an issue , just a small annoyance, but today's computer clocks seem highly inaccurate thats a problem if you don't know its 20 minutes off or what, more or less randomly. And well, op still has a point, why couldn't a country have like 2 or 3 time servers that are highly accurate with a huge bandwidth, we don't need hundreds, or thousands of those (also a security risk btw) But that's the thing unless your occupation is rocket surgery or something you do not need a highly accurate and in sync time... how did people manage before the 2000s? i would say better than we are now (regardless if thats related to accurate clocks or not) i just don't see an inherent advantage here... did you miss your train? well they're usually late anyways and then you kinda just have to get there 5 minutes earlier... not an issue with a traditional quartz clock that doesn't necessarily need an external power source like a battery btw.
The drift changes naturally and for an oven that’s not a big concern, but when communication is involved a few milliseconds off can cause trouble. Your messages might seem like updates from the future, yet I can picture others disliking anything with unclear timing. In computers, clocks are usually affordable, but regular syncing isn’t very dependable over time. Likely, you’re thinking of redundancy and load balancing. Some of the workload would shift to a higher bandwidth, though I imagine even three connections still leave a few weak points. It’s not just the servers—this big bandwidth might require special or dedicated setup. If the routes to the time servers slow down or fail, how do you guarantee the rerouting works? I’m unsure if “enough” means 20, 200 or 2000, but I can see why you’d want a lot more.
You believe these servers offer capabilities beyond what’s essential, and we built them intentionally for a purpose they don’t currently require.
These servers are managed by a team behind them, though the exact details aren't clear to me. If we could reduce their number, it might save a significant amount of energy. It's hard to say how many would be ideal, but it seems like having too many could be problematic. In the past, older devices had more precise clocks, which made this setup necessary. Today, with devices like MP3 players and smartphones using less accurate timing, they rely on these servers for synchronization. It worked well before, but now precision is essential.
They're time devices. Whoever manages them provides uniform hours. As for who runs them... almost anyone can. NIST, government agencies, tech giants like Google and Microsoft, home lab enthusiasts, even a neighbor’s dog with a static IP if it has one. If you run a web server at home, you can join the standard Linux pool here: https://www.ntppool.org/en/join.html. Surprisingly, they often require more servers just for balancing traffic. As Tikker mentioned earlier: many intelligent individuals have built this system, and there’s usually a purpose behind how it works.
I wouldn't be surprised if we remain limited by certain constraints due to the cost or scale of a complete overhaul, but I agree. On a basic level or when improvements aren't yet possible, things seem to function adequately. In everyday situations, we don't always require perfectly synchronized clocks, though they still serve a purpose. Whether our watches are off by five minutes or slow down, it doesn't matter as long as the timing remains reliable for what it's meant to do. For specialized fields like radio astronomy or GPS, precise clock accuracy is essential.