Windows 7 / XP time sync error

[see3peeoh]

Recently noticed that three W7 and one XP pc on the same wired/wireless router are refusing to sync their clocks. When the update button is pressed they return a server timeout error. Tried different servers and confirmed windows time service is running.
To confuse me more, the router is time syncing properly as is an internet radio and an ipad, all on the same wired/wireless network.
I'm pretty sure I would have noticed years ago if this was a configuration fault.

 

[ko888]

Which NTP servers have you tried? What country or location?

 

[see3peeoh]

Hi.
I'm located in North America and was initially set to time.windows.com also tried time-a.nist.gov - time.nist.gov - time-nw.nist.gov - time-a.nist.gov - time-b.nist.gov and ntp-nist.ldsbc.net . Ive also tried entering the IP address of a couple of time servers.
Router is pointing at ntp-nist.ldsbc.net and syncs ok.
Not sure what the internet radio is using for time as it must be hard coded. Ipad is also keeping time ok but not sure where it is getting it from but it must be through the router as it has no sim card.
All devices are connected to a DSL modem through a Trendnet router using either wifi or D-Lan.
Just seems odd only the Windows devices cant sync. One, a netbook was off by 20 minutes ahead of local time which is CST. The others were within 2 or 3 minutes but wouldn't accept a manual request to sync and returned the time-out error.

 

[ko888]

I've used wwv.nist.gov and sometimes it takes a few tries of pressing the "Update now" button. You should never press the "Update now" button more than once every four seconds because the server may consider it as attempting a denial-of-service attack and your update will get the error message.

time.nist.gov seems to work most reliably.

time-a.nist.gov and time-b.nist.gov are always busy and should not be used.

Open a Windows Command Prompt window and enter the following command:

tracert wwv.nist.gov

This command should show the complete routing from your TRENDnet router to the target server. If you don't get a completed trace then the time server may be unreachable and is why you get the time-out error.

Make sure that the DNS servers, that Windows is using, are able to resolve the URLs of the time servers.


If you're using a recent Windows version, you can use the ntp client that is built into the system to use an NTP Pool. As administrator enter at the Windows Command Prompt window:

w32tm /config /syncfromflags:manual /manualpeerlist:"server 0.us.pool.ntp.org server 1.us.pool.ntp.org server 2.us.pool.ntp.org server 3.us.pool.ntp.org"

 

[see3peeoh]

Thanks. Although all traces do complete, initial checks show some timeouts between router and dsl box. Will investigate a bit more when I have some time (no pun intended)
Will let you know.
Thanks again.

 

[see3peeoh]

Sorry for the delay in the followup.
Cant figure out why the trace route is timing out and wonder if you have any ideas.
Here's the command window text.

1 1 ms <1 ms <1 ms 192.168.10.1
2 2 ms 1 ms 1 ms 192.168.100.245
3 * * * Request timed out.
4 * * * Request timed out.
5 21 ms 22 ms 21 ms wnpgmb010ew-gr01-be3.as7122.net [142.161.0.194]

6 21 ms 21 ms 20 ms wnpgmb010bw-ae9.bb.allstream.net [216.191.36.85

7 45 ms 44 ms 44 ms ae1.gw1-chi.bb.allstream.net [199.212.160.209]
8 46 ms 46 ms 46 ms CHCGILDTcor01.peering.tds.net [206.223.119.64]
9 79 ms 76 ms 74 ms dnvvcohfdst51-bune5251.network.tds.net [64.50.2
4.218]
10 68 ms 68 ms 68 ms dnvtco56hed51-v60.network.tds.net [64.50.244.18
]
11 71 ms 70 ms 71 ms host-74-211-56-214.beyondbb.com [74.211.56.214]

12 73 ms 71 ms 73 ms host-24-56-178-78.beyondbb.com [24.56.178.78]
13 110 ms 105 ms 109 ms host-24-56-178-140.beyondbb.com [24.56.178.140]


#13 seems to trace back to:

24.56.178.140
IP address: 24.56.178.140
Server Location: Fort Collins, CO in United States
ISP: TDS Telecom

I've tried a different DNS server (isp recommended) with no change in things. Tried using the ipaddress of a couple of servers still no change.

Puzzling because its affecting all the PCs on my home network but the router seems able to update its own time stamp with more than one server tried.

Think the problem is the two timeouts which seem to be on the far side of the DSL modem and are delaying things but have no clue how to fix this.


Heres the result from the ntp client in the command window.


C:\Windows\system32>w32tm /config /syncfromflags:manual /manualpeerlist:"server
0.us.pool.ntp.org server 1.us.pool.ntp.org server 2.us.pool.ntp.org server 3.us.
pool.ntp.org"
The command completed successfully.

C:\Windows\system32>

Not sure what I did here but it said it completed.

I've used wwv.nist.gov and sometimes it takes a few tries of pressing the "Update now" button. You should never press the "Update now" button more than once every four seconds because the server may consider it as attempting a denial-of-service attack and your update will get the error message.

time.nist.gov seems to work most reliably.

time-a.nist.gov and time-b.nist.gov are always busy and should not be used.

Open a Windows Command Prompt window and enter the following command:

tracert wwv.nist.gov

This command should show the complete routing from your TRENDnet router to the target server. If you don't get a completed trace then the time server may be unreachable and is why you get the time-out error.

Make sure that the DNS servers, that Windows is using, are able to resolve the URLs of the time servers.


If you're using a recent Windows version, you can use the ntp client that is built into the system to use an NTP Pool. As administrator enter at the Windows Command Prompt window:

w32tm /config /syncfromflags:manual /manualpeerlist:"server 0.us.pool.ntp.org server 1.us.pool.ntp.org server 2.us.pool.ntp.org server 3.us.pool.ntp.org"

 

[see3peeoh]

Should have tried this before but at the suggestion on my isp I bypassed the Trendnet router by plugging directly into the gateway modem and time sync worked normally without any timeouts.
Have to figure out why it is likely blocking udp on port 123 and see if I can regain access for the LAN.

 

[ko888]

Is your TRENDnet router using the latest firmware?

You can download and use this freeware tool for for testing NTP Server response:

http://www.ntp-time-server.com/ntp-server-tool.html

 

[see3peeoh]

Router upgraded to final release FW. Still not working although router clock is still getting its NTP time setting.
Freeware tool got time stamp from time.windows.com with PC plugged into the DSL gateway but showed nothing through the router so I think its time to give up & try a different router.
Thanks for trying to help.

Is your TRENDnet router using the latest firmware?

You can download and use this freeware tool for for testing NTP Server response:

http://www.ntp-time-server.com/ntp-server-tool.html

 

[see3peeoh]

Replaced Trendnet router with new(er) Netgear dual band. New router was displaying the same problem until port 123 send and receive side were set for UDP port triggering with a 1 minute hold time (shortest option).
The port triggering had been tried on the previous Trendnet router but didn't give any results.

Since port 123 should normally listen for incoming when a udp query is sent from the outgoing, I'm not sure why this worked unless the port wasn't listening for long enough without triggering set.
Normally port triggering is used to make different ports listen when an outbound request is sent on it. Maybe this is a question for the router group. Not too worried now time sync is working again.

 

[see3peeoh]

Update.
NTP sync is still running and updating on all PCs connected to the netgear router. Now if I could only get the router's internal clock to sync, sigh.
Netgear apparently hard code their NTP address into the firmware and it is a common problem that it just does not work and there is no option to change the target or to even correct the clock manually. My router thinks it is January 7th 2003 and I'm unable to use the schedule feature or make sense of the log time/datestamp but at least the PCs are happy.