INTERNET TIME SERVERS

Six GPS-based, fast, high-accuracy [10-nanosecond] Stratum-1 NTP Internet time servers that you can use for any timing needs, such as keeping your computer's clock synchronized to UTC, are available free for public use. All six are equally accurate and are accessible via the two domain names given in the table below.

Server Information
Domain Name Time Source Oscillator NTP Line Notes
t1.timegps.net GPS Rubidium V2 V3 V4 Cable A
C
t2.timegps.net GPS Rubidium V2 V3 V4 Cable A
C
How the servers work: There are six servers in operation, but only two incoming lines are used. Each incoming request for time is sent to a load-balancing device that selects the next server cyclicly from the set of six. In this scheme, successive time requests will almost certainly not use the same physical server. The benefit is that if any servers go down, the remaining ones are still automatically accessible, and users should not be affected.
Which Domain Name should you use? Either one. The times returned on both lines have identical accuracy.
Server Status: Normal Operation
Server locations: Valencia, California [near Los Angeles]

For your computer, decide on a particular server line and then:

For the PC (Windows 7):
 1. Navigate to the menu item 'Start > Control Panel > Date and Time'.
2. Click the 'Internet Time' tab at the top of the window.
3. Click 'Change Settings...'
4. Check the box next to 'Synchronize with an Internet time server'.
5. Type in the desired Domain Name from the table above as the server name.
6. Click 'Update Now'.
7. When you get the 'successfully' message, click OK in the two open windows.

For the Macintosh (OS X):
 1. Open 'System Preferences. . .' in the Apple menu.
2. In the 'System' bar, click 'Date & Time'.
3. In the window that opens, click the 'Date & Time' tab.
4. Check the box next to "Set date & time automatically"
5. Enter the Domain Name from the table above as the server name.
6. Press the Return key.
7. Close the window.

IMPORTANT:

Be sure that the IP address of your client host computer is valid. The Internet has seven ranges of IP addresses that are not recognized by Internet routers or are not available for assignment:

Invalid IP Addresses
Address Range Start Address Range End Address Type
0.0.0.0 0.255.255.255 No Network Number
10.0.0.0 10.255.255.255 Local - Class A
127.0.0.0 127.255.255.255 Reserved for Testing
169.254.0.0 169.254.255.255 Local - DHCP Default
172.16.0.0 172.31.255.255 Local - Class B
192.168.0.0 192.168.255.255 Local - Class C
240.0.0.0 255.255.255.255 Internet IP Development

Do not use an address in any of the above ranges to identify your computer to the outside world. A received IP address belonging to one of these ranges will be discarded by the servers. [If you connect to the Internet through a gateway in an organization's network, that is usually OK; in most cases local addresses will be temporarily converted to a valid number before being transmitted.]

Please note: The time derived from GPS by the servers is within a few nanoseconds of UTC; however, because of unpredictable transmission delays within the Internet, the time received from the servers will be accurate typically to a few milliseconds of UTC.

For questions or comments, e-mail x@sn.to

This page was last updated on January 27, 2012. You are visitor number _

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