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Configuring Windows as a NTP Server
Richard N Williams
Galleon Systems
Microsoft Windows has a built in time synchronisation facility called windows time (w32time.exe). Windows time is based on Network Time Protocol (NTP) an Internet protocol designed to synchronise computers on a network.
Using Windows Time service it is possible to configure the operating system to run as NTP time server, allowing you to synchronise all network devices to that time. Inn some older versions of Windows such Windows 2000 a stripped-down version of NTP called SNTP (Simplified Network Time Protocol) exists but is perfectly adequate for most timing applications.
Windows Time should be present in the service list. To locate Windows Time simply find the following subkey in the registry:
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Services\W32Time
NOTE: editing registry entries can cause irreversible problems it is strongly advised to create a backup before editing any entries to the registry.
Windows can easily set the system clock to use UTC (Coordinated Universal Time, the World's time standard) by accessing an Internet source (either: time.windows.com or time.nist.gov). To achieve this, a user merely has to double click the clock on their desktop and adjust the settings in the Internet Time tab.
It must be noted however, that Microsoft and other operating system manufacturers strongly advise that external timing references should be used as Internet sources can't be authenticated.
To configure the Windows Time service to use an external time source, click Start, Run and type regedit then click OK.
Locate the following subkey:
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Services\W32Time\Parameters\Type
In the right pane, right-click Type then click Modify, in edit Value type NTP in the Value data box then click OK.
Locate the following subkey:
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Services\W32Time\Config\AnnounceFlags.
In the right pane, right-click AnnounceFlags and click Modify. The AnnounceFlags' registry entry indicates whether the server is a trusted time reference, 5 indicates a trusted source so in the Edit DWORD Value box, under Value Data, type 5, then click OK.
Network Time Protocol (NTP) is an Internet protocol used for the transfer of accurate time, providing time information along so that a precise time can be obtained
To enable the Network Time Protocol; NTPserver, locate and click:
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Services\W32Time\TimeProviders\NtpServer
In the right pane, right-click Enabled, then click Modify.
In the Edit DWord Value box, type 1 under Value data, then click OK.
Now go back and click on
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Services\W32Time\Parameters\NtpServer
In the right pane, right-click NtpServer, then Modify, in the Edit DWORD Value under Value Data type In the right pane, right-click NtpServer, then Modify, in the Edit DWORD Value under Value Data type the Domain Name System (DNS), each DNS must be unique and you must append 0x1 to the end of each DNS name otherwise changes will not take effect.
Now click Ok.
Locate and click the following
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Services\W32Time\TimeProviders\NtpClient\SpecialPollInterval
In the right pane, right-click SpecialPollInterval, then click Modify.
In the Edit DWORD Value box, under Value Data, type the number of seconds you want for each poll, ie 900 will poll every 15 minutes, then click OK.
To configure the time correction settings, locate:
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Services\W32Time\config
In the right pane, right-click MaxPosPhaseCorrection, then Modify, in the Edit DWORD Value box, under Base, click Decimal, under Value Data, type a time in seconds such as 3600 (an hour) then click OK.
Now go back and click:
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Services\W32Time\config
In the right pane, right-click MaxNegPhaseCorrection, then Modify.
In the Edit DWORD box under base, click Decimal, under value data type the time in seconds you want to poll such as 3600 (polls in one hour)
Exit Registry Editor
Now, to restart windows time service, click Start, Run (or alternatively use the command prompt facility) and type:
net stop w32time & & net start w32time
Richard N Williams is a technical author and specialist in atomic clocks, telecommunications, NTP and network time synchronisation helping to develop dedicated NTP clocks. Please visit us for more information about GPS time servers and other NTP solutions
Article submitted Tuesday, July 08, 2008
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