Let us specify more than one NTP server

Michael234 · October 10, 2020, 12:38pm

I started out with a Balance 20x calling out to the default pool of Peplink NTP servers. It was trying to contact 185.242.56.3 (UDP to port 123) which I have blocked. The Shodan report on this server is bad - a ton of known vulnerabilities and many open ports. So, I want to specify my own time server for the router to use, but I can only specify one. This is shown in the below screen shot. Two would be better. Like DNS.

stego · October 19, 2020, 3:59am

I switched to using server pool in Canada. The default pool was calling servers all over the world.

A side note, I enabled the NTP server function in the B20x and had set my AP minis to use the B20x IP directly in their respective web admins as NTP target.

However, the AP minis get overridden with my B20x NTP server pool setting and don’t keep the B20x NTP IP.

I guess this is due to the minis being managed by the B20x AP controller.

Michael234 · October 19, 2020, 9:41am

Yes, I noticed this too.
What server pool in Canada are you using? And, how did you find out about it?

stego · October 19, 2020, 12:29pm

Just looked it up and found this:

https://www.pool.ntp.org/zone/ca

Figured I didn’t need NTP servers outside Canada. Shop local.

This page explains a bit more … never read it until now…

https://www.ntppool.org/en/use.html

Looking up pool.ntp.org (or 0.pool.ntp.org , 1.pool.ntp.org , etc) will usually return IP addresses for servers in or close to your country. For most users this will give the best results.

Michael234 · October 19, 2020, 2:51pm

Thank you. I will look into one of those pools.

mldowling · October 19, 2020, 3:19pm

Hello @Michael234,
In Australia, if you have a fixed IP you can apply to the Australian Goverments CSIRO to access their Stadium 1 reference servers via NTP (these are the systems used for reference in this region for the GPS satellites, yep, the GPS Satellites get ground referenced in this hemisphere to Australia).

We use to use these services from the CSIRO extensively, though now have changed almost everything over to the domain of au.pool.ntp.org as a regional NTP reference, has been very reliable to date.

For more information on other regions for those interested in public/global NTP reference options.

Happy to Help,
Marcus

stego · October 19, 2020, 3:28pm

Or, just go with Google.

They serve smear time.

I’ll keep that read for when I can’t fall asleep.

Datahead · November 18, 2020, 5:46am

Or better yet don’t use Google for anything, including DNS (use Cloudflare for that)

For NTP: Use the atomic clock in Colorado: time.nist.gov

Or cloudflare:

“ time.cloudflare.com, a free time service that supports both NTP and the emerging Network Time Security (NTS) protocol for securing NTP. Now, anyone can get time securely from all our datacenters in 180 cities around the world.

You can use time.cloudflare.com as the source of time for all your devices today with NTP, while NTS clients are still under development. NTPsec includes experimental support for NTS. If you’d like to get updates about NTS client development, email us asking to join at [email protected]. To use NTS to secure time synchronization, reach out to your vendors and inquire about NTS support.”