Windows knowhow

Windows: Enable NTP Client and Server

2 Comments

Hi,

the Windows Time service includes both an NTP Client and an NTP Server. The NTP Server is disabled by default.

If your Windows Box should act as NTP Server config a valid time source first. Either a DCF77 (Germany) Receiver or an couple of NTP Servers which you trust.

For Germany I recommend to use the NTP Server from the “physikalisch-technische bundesanstalt”.

Lets start. Configure the Windows Time Service as NTP Client.

D:\> w32tm /config /syncfromflags:manual /update /manualpeerlist:ptbtime1.ptb.de,ptbtime2.ptb.de

Configure w32time Service to start automatically

D:\> sc config w32time start= auto
D:\> net start w32time

Configure w32time as Server

D:\> w32tm /config /reliable:yes
D:\> w32tm /config /update
D:\> reg add HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Services\W32Time\TimeProviders\NtpServer /v Enabled /t REG_DWORD /d 1 /f
D:\> net stop wuauserv
D:\> net start wuauserv

Open Firewall

D:\> netsh advfirewall firewall add rule name="NTP Server" dir=out protocol=udp localport=123 profile=any enable=yes action=allow
D:\> netsh advfirewall firewall add rule name="NTP Server" dir=in  protocol=udp localport=123 profile=any enable=yes action=allow

Check configuration, a section NtpServer should appear

D:\> w32tm /query /configuration
...
NtpServer (Local)
DllName: C:\Windows\system32\w32time.dll (Local)
Enabled: 1 (Local)
InputProvider: 0 (Local)
AllowNonstandardModeCombinations: 1 (Local)
...

Test it from another computer

C:\> w32tm /stripchart /computer:youtNTPServer /samples:4 /dataonly
Tracking youtNTPServer[192.168.254.1:123].
Collecting 4 samples.
The current time is 22.05.2018 22:53:55.
22:53:55  -00.0636377s
22:53:56  -00.0662772s
22:53:57  -00.0583119s
22:53:58  -00.0671685s

Michael

2 thoughts on “Windows: Enable NTP Client and Server”

  1. The syntax in: Lets start. Configure the Windows Time Service as NTP Client does not work in Windows Server 2019. Should be in quotes and a space between peers.
    Also a hex value set to control peer type:

    1. D:\> w32tm /config /syncfromflags:manual /update /manualpeerlist:”ptbtime1.ptb.de,0x9 ptbtime2.ptb.de,0x9″

    The hex value could be desired to be something else, such as 0x2 for a fail back only option, but this is a good setting for stand alone time servers.

    I don’t think you meant to restart Windows update in Configure w32time as Server steps 4 and 5. SHouldn’t that be:
    4. D:\> net stop w32time
    5. D:\> net start w32time

    1. you are correct in that you can set in order of preference for windows 2019 and above using the hex flags, however the original command should still work too and give equal preference

Leave a Reply