[ale] possibility of running an NTP server

[leam hall]

JD,

I think Ron wants to provide an external NTP server as a service to
the community.

Leam


On 1/11/12, JD <jdp at algoloma.com> wrote:
> I didn't read your entire post. Sorry.
>
> You don't run an NTP server already?
>
> Have 1 main internal NTP server that all other systems - including WINDOWS -
> use.
>
> Just run it at a lower stratum level and do not make it publicly available.
> Point all your other systems to that main system. There are lots of how-to
> guides on the internet.  It should take less than a minute per system to
> setup.
>
> NTP has been solved for decades.
>
> On 01/11/2012 12:55 AM, Ron Frazier wrote:
>> Hi Guys,
>>
>> Hope you had a Merry Christmas and a Happy start to the new year.  While
>> I'll admit that I haven't read all the 200+ messages on the list since
>> vacation, I do have a new question I wanted to ask.  I'll go ahead and
>> give the caveat that this falls into the category of something that I
>> might like to do but may never get around to, or it may be too costly,
>> etc.
>>
>> For some time, I've had an amateur interest the science of timekeeping.
>> Haven't really pursued it.  I've been recently been doing research into
>> time servers, and time signals, etc.  I used some Christmas money to get
>> a solar atomic watch made by Casio and a couple of solar atomic wall
>> clocks made by LaCrosse Technology.  They're very cool.  They receive
>> the WWVB time signal from the NIST in Colorado.  They charge themselves,
>> and set themselves.  I never have to set them, and I never have to
>> replace the batteries, at least until the rechargeable batteries in them
>> die, and as long as I give them an adequate dose of light.  The problem
>> with the WWVB signal is that it usually doesn't work in the daytime due
>> to the ionosphere and other interference.  So, I was trying to
>> synchronize my watch and one clock today and they just refused to
>> receive the signal enough to work.  Hopefully, they'll pick it up in the
>> middle of the night.
>>
>> In my research, I ran across the NTP Pool project at
>> http://www.pool.ntp.org/en/ .  They and people associated with them
>> operate a pool of 2904 servers for the purpose of providing NTP time
>> service.  They also say, on their site, that they need more servers.
>> So, the thought crossed my mind that I could operate an NTP server and
>> associate with the pool.  That brings up a bunch of questions.
>>
>> As I understand it, the time servers / devices are divided into Stratum
>> levels.  Stratum 0 devices are the actual atomic clocks, etc. that run
>> the world's timekeeping systems at the highest level.  Stratum 1 devices
>> are connected to Stratum 0 devices directly, not through the internet.
>> I presume that the computer running the radio transmitter at NIST in
>> Colorado is a Stratum 1 device.  Stratum 2 devices are more numerous and
>> are connected to Stratum 1 devices through the internet.  Stratum 3
>> devices are more numerous and are connected to Stratum 2 devices through
>> the internet.  This is a useful article on Wikipedia:
>> http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Network_Time_Protocol .
>>
>> This document: http://support.ntp.org/bin/view/Servers/WebHome provides
>> access to a list of time servers.
>>
>> This document: http://support.ntp.org/bin/view/Servers/RulesOfEngagement
>> shows the rules for usage of the servers.  It discourages use of Stratum
>> 1 servers except where Stratum 2 servers are the clients and where those
>> servers provide time synchronization to a large number of lower level
>> users.  Thus, I'm presuming that, if I were to operate an NTP server,
>> mine would be considered a Stratum 3 server and mine would primarily
>> reference Stratum 2 servers to get time data.  So, I would set the
>> configuration file on my system to have the NTP daemon reference a
>> number of Stratum 2 servers for time synchronization data.  As I
>> understand it, each network hop adds up to about 150 mS of delay, so I
>> would expect my Stratum 3 server to have it's time delayed about 300 mS
>> from the upline Stratum 1 source.  Since the Stratum 1 servers are
>> connected directly to the atomic clocks, etc, I would expect that the
>> time on the Stratum 1 devices differs very little from the true time.
>>
>> According to this page: http://www.pool.ntp.org/en/join.html regarding
>> joining the NTP pool, Stratum 3 or Stratum 4 servers can join the pool.
>>
>> Assuming I wanted to set up an NTP server, that brings up yet more
>> questions.  Can I do it on a residential 3 Mbps up / 16 Mbps down
>> connection from Comcast?  Do I really have to have a static IP or can a
>> Dynamic DNS name suffice?
>>
>> Assuming the answers to the last two are yes and yes, I'm assuming I
>> would connect the NTP server outside my home hardware firewall /
>> router.  So, could I connect things as follows (assume TCP/IP v4):
>>
>> Internet --> Cable Modem --> 4 Port Router (WAN Port)
>>
>> The router provides DHCP service to my internal LAN.
>>
>> 4 Port Router (Port 1) --> NTP Server - Set this port to reserve the
>> same internal LAN IP for this server every time by MAC address.  Set up
>> a port forwarding rule to forward incoming NTP packets to this IP.
>> 4 Port Router (Port 2) --> My normal other internal computers
>> 4 Port Router (Wireless) --> My normal other internal computers
>>
>> Assuming all this works, the NTP server will essentially be outside the
>> firewall.  So, what do I need to run the server, an old Pentium 1 300
>> MHz laptop, an old 486 laptop, a router with reflashed firmware, Ubuntu,
>> a stand alone NTP utility booting off of a CD?  All I would want this
>> particular device to do is run NTP and be accessible to me on the
>> Internal LAN for maintenance and configuration.
>>
>> I know the question is a bit vague, and spread out, but any light you
>> guys can shed on the topic is appreciated.  Even though I might not be
>> able to set up and run a server, I love to learn about these things
>> regardless.
>> \
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