W32Time

[welsh blackbird]

I have a small network running from a W2K Server. All of the clients run XP Pro SP2.

Some of the clients seem to have a problem logging on to the server, and they seem to lose contact with the server after a period of time.

The event viewer makes reference to W32Time to the effect that no time server could be accessed.

Having done a bit of research, it seems that time synchronisation is part of the security system in W2K, and that this can present authentication problems.

My questions are:-

Where can I find a time server?

How do I tell the W2K server to look to this time server for the time?

Do I need to get the clients to look to this time server too, and if so, how do I configure them.

This problem is driving me up the wall, because sometimes the clients log on with no problems, and at other times it takes a few attempts to get them logged on.

Any help would be much appreciated.

Thanks

[Plotloss]

Alternatively if you disable the Windows Time Service you wont get the messages anymore...

[welsh blackbird]

If I disable the synchronisation of the clock, won't the fact that the client and the server have a different time prevent authentication?

If not, do I disable it on both the server and the clients?

Sorry to be so dumb!!!

[Plotloss]

Not too sure, networks arent my area of expertise but I am currently running XP on a 2000 network with a disabled time service and everything works perfectly...

[pdV6]

welsh blackbird said:

If I disable the synchronisation of the clock, won't the fact that the client and the server have a different time prevent authentication? If not, do I disable it on both the server and the clients? Sorry to be so dumb!!!

Depends how far out they are I think.
Not my area of expertise either.
If you're really worried about it, pick up one of the many freebie utilities to synch with an atomic clock via the internet.

[_DJ_]

pdV6 said:

welsh blackbird said: If I disable the synchronisation of the clock, won't the fact that the client and the server have a different time prevent authentication? If not, do I disable it on both the server and the clients? Sorry to be so dumb!!! Depends how far out they are I think. Not my area of expertise either. If you're really worried about it, pick up one of the many freebie utilities to synch with an atomic clock via the internet.

Quick answer is that is they can remain within 5 mins of each other then (Kerberos) authentication will be fine.

The clients should authenticate with a domain controller in their domain. The DC at the root of the forest is usually synchronised to a good time source using NTP.

The options for this are configured using the 'net time' command from the CLI.

D

[slinky]

easy way of doing it is to stick a batch file in startup, something along the lines of...

net time W2KServer /set /yes

That will keep everything in line with the server every time the clients log on...

If you can't get the time sync to work on the server (I never can!) then just install something like Tardis or any other Time Sync software, that'll keep the server up to date..

Hopefully, unless the CMOS Battery is shagged, they shouldn't drop too far out of sync before they attempt to log back on again..

hth

slinky

>> Edited by slinky on Monday 4th October 13:45

[_DJ_]

slinky said:

easy way of doing it is to stick a batch file in startup, something along the lines of... net time W2KServer /set /yes That will keep everything in line with the server every time the clients log on... If you can't get the time sync to work on the server (I never can!) then just install something like Tardis or any other Time Sync software, that'll keep the server up to date.. Hopefully, unless the CMOS Battery is shagged, they shouldn't drop too far out of sync before they attempt to log back on again.. hth slinky >> Edited by slinky on Monday 4th October 13:45

True, that'd be perfectly good for a smaller network.
For a detailed description of how it _should_ work, see http://download.microsoft.com/download/2/0/f/20f61625-7b2a-4531-b007-1c714f1e51b7/wintimeserv.doc.