NTP Time Server – Why Network Time Protocol

There are many protocols designed for distributing and synchronising time across a network. Yet out of every 100 network administrators, 99 will say they use NTP for this purpose.

While other time protocols do exist, NTP is without doubt the most widely used time synchronisation protocol and the reason for this is many fold.

Network Time Protocol, is not only the oldest time synchronisation protocol it is one of the oldest protocols on the Internet. This is one reason why NTP is so popular as it has been around since 1985 when Professor David Mills and his team from Delaware University developed the protocol.

Since then NTP has been continually updated. This constant support (currently NTP is on version 4) and development has kept NTP viable over 20 years later and provided the confidence that most administrators require.

NTP works by using a single time source (normally UTC – coordinated universal time) and distributes it amongst the network’s devices. A NTP time server will check how much each devices clock is drifting and make adjustments. NTP can typically keep a network running to within a few milliseconds of UTC, as long as there is a reliable UTC source.

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