NTP Sync Issue Across Tata (Europe)

Tue Aug 8 15:36:46 UTC 2023

I’d be interested in an example of a Colo that does NOT provide GPS-based NTP even if they don’t let tenants install their own. I’ve never, ever seen one.

 -mel

On Aug 8, 2023, at 8:20 AM, Mike Hammett <nanog at ics-il.net> wrote:

My facility experience ranges from prohibited to infeasible. I must not be in the right facilities.

Yes, many radio platforms have GPS for timing. Some expose it for external time and timing purposes, some do not. Naturally, they do have a pretty good view of the sky.

-----
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________________________________
From: "Mel Beckman" <mel at beckman.org>
To: "Mike Hammett" <nanog at ics-il.net>
Cc: nanog at nanog.org, "Mark Tinka" <mark at tinka.africa>
Sent: Tuesday, August 8, 2023 10:05:55 AM
Subject: Re: NTP Sync Issue Across Tata (Europe)

It works fine, and is an industry standard. you have to mount the GPS antenna near a window with sky visibility, or on the roof. Many point-to-point microwave radios have GPS built in to obtain accurate timing for transmission multiplexing.

 -mel

On Aug 8, 2023, at 7:16 AM, Mike Hammett <nanog at ics-il.net> wrote:

"We use these exclusively in data centers"

How well does GPS work inside the datacenter?

-----
Mike Hammett
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________________________________
From: "Mel Beckman" <mel at beckman.org>
To: "Mark Tinka" <mark at tinka.africa>
Cc: nanog at nanog.org
Sent: Saturday, August 5, 2023 2:26:37 PM
Subject: Re: NTP Sync Issue Across Tata (Europe)

Mark,

You might consider setting up your own GPS-based NTP network. Commercial Ethernet GPS-sourced NTP servers, such as the Time Machines, TM1000A, are as little as $400. Or you can roll your own using a Raspberry Pi or similar nano computer with a GPS module and antenna. We use these exclusively in data centers now rather than depending on Internet NTP servers, primarily for security, because financial transactions in e-commerce can be sensitive to false time information. There are also a variety of NTP-based Internet attacks, so if you can block NTP at your border you’ve eliminated another attack surface.

-mel via cell

> On Aug 5, 2023, at 11:22 AM, Mark Tinka <mark at tinka.africa> wrote:
>
> 
>
>> On 8/5/23 20:17, Chris Adams wrote:
>>
>> It's the NTP pool people you need to talk to - the .freebsd. bit is just
>> a vendored entry into the pool (more for load tracking and management).
>
> Yes, Andreas clarified in unicast. Will do. Thanks.
>
> Mark.

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