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Network Time Protocol

Network Time Protocol (NTP) is an Internet standard protocol which enables client computers to maintain system time synchronization to the US Naval Observatory Master Clocks in Washington, DC and Colorado Springs, CO.
 
NTP runs as a client program on a computer. It sends periodic time requests to one or more servers, obtaining server time stamps and using them to adjust the client's clock.
 
Typical accuracy achieved is in the range 1 - 30 ms continuous, and is highly dependent on the symmetry and speed of the Internet path between client and server. Best results are achieved using a combination of servers which are closest to the client in a network sense.
 
USNO provides network time service using the Internet standard Network Time Protocol (NTP) on these networks:
 
  • U. S. PUBLIC:  including state and Federal agencies, corporations, the Executive and Judicial branches, educational and other organizations.  Authenticated NTP service is not offered on the PUBLIC NTP service due to the size of our customer base; Network Time Security (NTS) may be offered in the future.     

  • DOD: restricted to the DoD NIPRnet. (Provides symmetric-key authentication.)
 USNO supports NTP clients using  the Chrony daemon from chrony-project.org, the classic NTP daemon from www.ntp.org,  Simple Network Time protocol (SNTP), or embedded NTP clients on Apple, Cisco and Juniper devices.  Note: Microsoft Windows does not provide an NTP client which supports symmetric-key authentication to sync to  Internet standard Network Time Protocol NTP servers. 
https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/troubleshoot/windows-server/active-directory/time-synchronization-not-succeed-non-ntp
 
Your network people can do authenticated NTP with USNO on their routers and firewalls. You should then synchronize to your local devices.  For more information see:
https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/windows-server/networking/windows-time-service/windows-time-service-tools-and-settings?tabs=config
 
 
Please note that these servers support the Network Time Protocol (Internet RFC-1305a, RFC-5905) and Simple Network Time Protocol (SNTP), as provided by  NTP and Chrony software.
WE STRONGLY RECOMMEND THAT YOU CHOOSE ONE OR MORE SERVERS CLOSE TO YOU, AND IN ADDITION SELECT OTHER SERVERS FOR REDUNDANCY.

 
 

Commander, Naval Meteorology and Oceanography Command | 1100 Balch Blvd. | Stennis Space Center, Mississippi 39529

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