Windows Server 2003 - time server settings

[CESIL]

Hi All,

How do you get your server to pick up the correct time?

I have tried to point our server at various time servers but they are not accessible. I guess this is because we are inside our LEA firewall.

I found something on the interweb that seemed to suggest pointing the server at the cache server but I can't even ping that.

Where do your servers point to get the time settings?

[cookie_monster]

We use our cisco router that is supposed to be kept in time by the ISP, our LEA doesn't provide an NTP service and when i rang to ask why not i got a snotty reply about why should we need one.

[apeo]

You might want to ask your LEA as its likely they have a time server you can get your time from. Having said that i still have no idea why i cant get my server to get time from an external source.

[Geoff]

Your machines (especially servers) times need to be accurate. Apart from anything else it's impossible to cross check log files properly. This is especially important for internet access logs when the police come visiting. :P

[CESIL]

I think I have sorted it!

cookie_monster's suggestion about an LEA ntp server set me thinking (I didn't call them, I don't have that long to live) so I tried pinging ntp.xxx.gov.uk and got a response. (xxx replaced with our LEA domain name)

then I used these instructions http://support.microsoft.com/kb/816042 that I have used before but without the correct server name it failed.

this time it seems to be working as the time changed on the server!