Set up a local NTP server for every other LAN device
Set up a local NTP server for every other LAN device
We often overlook the importance of keeping our devices synchronized. The "real-time clocks" lack the accuracy needed for monthly adjustments. By default, multiple devices attempt to update their time several times each week using individual timer servers. Each server checks numerous devices through different pathways to ensure consistency. This method is unreliable since each device may receive varying results. A better approach would be to sync just one device over the internet, forcing all devices to adopt the local time server's information. My tablet, smart TV, phone, and Windows PC all use separate time servers. Having a single, local NTP server allows all devices to stay synchronized whenever they wish, without the need to traverse many different servers. Anyone here with a local NTP server?
Looking at it too small. For one individual, a local NTP server might use less power than relying on distant internet routers and servers. However, it's not just about one person using a faraway server. Consider a city of 22 million people—what would happen to overall power consumption if every household had its own NTP server? That scenario would be quite impractical.
Every day there might be numerous calls to align time, often hundreds of thousands, typically each day. This level could work for mobile gadgets but seems excessive for most applications, requiring daily synchronization across all systems. Each device could update itself regularly, while the central clock refreshes roughly every two weeks. Such a task could be handled within a virtual environment, using a machine you activate periodically—perhaps once a fortnight—to keep time accurate. This approach would save energy compared to constant monitoring. You don’t need a high-end setup; it can run on a standard server with PFsense or a Wi-Fi router that supports OpenWrt. Power usage would only increase slightly when purchasing new hardware. If you already own a suitable router or computer, it’s ideal. The NTP service could also be timed to sync inside a virtual machine via a bridged adapter, like VirtualBox. On Linux systems, the time can be aligned with the hardware RTC, ensuring consistency even in virtualized settings. This method allows scheduling the sync to match typical work hours, then switching back to the virtual hardware clock for shutdown, without needing a powerful machine or excessive resources.
But the system is already in place for everyday internet needs. Are you really considering it better to switch everyone to local NTP servers instead of building on what exists? Plus, how do you make sure each home server aligns with the same time? Your NTP server might differ from mine. Take my city example—imagine ten million homes using various servers and possibly different times compared to having 22 million people sharing a single thousand servers.
Sorry, we're heading back to the same topic. To put it simply, certain routers offer an internal NTP server, such as pfSense and OpenWRT. Just forward traffic from clients targeting port 123 to the local router and that's complete. As mentioned before, the primary NTP servers are provided by users and run on systems handling more than just NTP—they're often used for additional services. While some devices might rely on vendor-provided NTP servers, these can be easily circumvented.
Other time servers likely aren't aligned with each other. The Windows time server isn't matching up with RoLU's server. Google's Android uses multiple sources and some tablets have region-specific time zones. I'm confident in my view that a local server synchronized with the Linux NTP pool is more reliable. It probably stays within four to five minutes of standard solar time across all zones. Choosing just one source would likely cause other servers to stop working, since they depend on it. If usage is low and intentional, we wouldn't need thousands of servers in the NTP pool, many of which handle several services.
So you're looking for a local server to connect with an external one? That seems unnecessary. It looks like you're trying to solve something that doesn't really exist. If these ntp servers aren't being used, the provider should have already taken them offline. I don’t know many companies that keep unused servers running.
For your private LAN it makes sense to include a local NTP server on the router since it becomes your only backup. However, you should aim for synchronization from a random server online (like the NTP pool project) so no single point of overload occurs. Ideally, avoid situations where a poorly set IoT device constantly stresses the servers—your router should manage that traffic smoothly.
You could establish a GPS-driven time server, though it still requires alignment with other GPS systems. I don’t think there’s another method besides using a solar clock. A single synchronization every week or so works well; devices typically adjust their local time as programmed. If perhaps two percent of PC users adopt this approach, the NTP network would need fewer participants. A few minutes discrepancy usually means about half a month before correcting, given today’s RTCS standards. Their timing is slightly off over time—maybe a couple of seconds—but it’s usually acceptable. Five minutes beyond is often enough to trigger authentication issues with Kerberos. In the 1980s, Kerberos allowed a 30-minute tolerance, whereas now it’s tightened to within a minute. Websites rarely tolerate hours behind, but an hour or more ahead commonly causes certificate problems.