Re: Setting SBS2003 as NTP Time Server

From: Dave Nickason [SBS MVP] (gwdibble_at_NOSPAM.frontiernet.net)
Date: 01/31/05 

Date: Mon, 31 Jan 2005 18:34:27 -0500

Here are a couple of things you can try.

For desktops not synching with the server: All of the following are on the
workstation whose time is not synchronizing with the server. At a command
prompt, when you type "net time /querysntp" it should return "The current
SNTP value is: time.windows.com,0x1" Also, when you start the desktop PC,
you should get an informational message in the System log, Event ID 35,
Source W32Time, The time service is now synchronizing the system time with
the time source <your sbs>.

If this is not happening, please go to regedit (still workstation) and
navigate to HKLM\System\CurrentControlSet\Services\w32time\Parameters. The
NtpServer key should say "time.windows.com,0x1" and the Type key should be
set to "NT5DS" all without the quotes. I have seen on some Dell systems
where the Type gets set to NoSync, with the obvious results (and I don't
know why this would be limited to Dell, that's just my personal experience).
Usual precautions apply if you change anything in regedit. You'll have to
reboot or restart the time service after changing values.

For the server, see this KB article "How to configure an authoritative time
server in Windows Server 2003"
http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;en-us;816042. In step 4C,
instead of typing the word "peers" as the KB appears to say, type the ntp
server or servers you want to use in this format:
"208.184.49.9,0x1,ntp2.usno.navy.mil,0x1"

"Steve" <Steve@discussions.microsoft.com> wrote in message
news:BB6BA174-FC58-4C21-B6D2-BD9E13B0C991@microsoft.com...
>I have read many submissions about performance issues because of time
> synchronisation, but have problems trying to configure my SBS2003 Std
> Server.
>
> My clients (all xp/sp2) are not synching with the server, time service on
> problem computers are set to automatic but are not running.
>
> Everything that I try fails. Knowledge base articles lead to dead ends.
>
> When I enter the "net time" command, it can not find the server.
>
> When I enter the "net time /setsntp:" to any of the published time
> servers,
> it says ok, but the "net time" command fails afterwards, can not find the
> time server.
>
> I want to ensure that the sbs2003 is synching with a time server, and want
> to know that all clients are synching with the sbs2003 server. Is there a
> simple way of doing this, then verifying that all is working, monitoring
> that
> the services are running on connected clients? Group Policy?
>
> Right now, it just looks like there are no functional time servers out
> there, and that internal synchronisation is totally turned off.....
>
>

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