time sync

[Sneakers]

Guys!

I've stumbled on a touchy issue - my clients clocks are out of sync with my server.
Now, i defenetly remember that in the good old 2ksbs the clock was forced upon the clients even if they chaged it! (wasn't it the NETCLOCK command in old good novell?).
Is there a way to force my server clock on those winxp/2k/98 clients of mine before i'll be assasinated (when one of them will be "calendared-out-of-sync" with another)?!

[Ya_know]

net time \\servername /set /y

Put that in your login scripts, if you are already using them for mapped drives.

[CeeBee]

The "net time" command will only work on NT/2K/XP if the user is a local admin, or if the user is given the privilege to change system time. It would be best to enable a NTP time server on the DC, then clients will then set the time from it.
For 9x machines "net time" remains the way to go.

[jitBob]

NET TIME \\servername (file://\servername) /SET /YES

[Ya_know]

NET TIME \\servername (file://\servername) /SET /YES

What, you didn't like the way I typed it out? :p

Going with what CeeBee said, I think CeeBee's solution is worth looking into as well for the reasons stated (i.e. if no admin rights on a pc), with an alternate login script for the 9x boxes using the net time cmd.

[Sneakers]

1) What if I will modify this (http://www.winguides.com/registry/display.php/1117/) on my server?

2) If my users log in with the "net time" script and then change their clocks, until next reset their clock will be out of sync, right?

3) Is directing the NTP to my router IP a good way to sync 'em?

[CeeBee]

There is more to be set... Follow the articles in MSKB (http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;en-us;223184&Product=win2000) about enabling NTP. It's also a good idea to enable your server to syncronize with other NTP servers from internet (such as time.windows.com, nist.time.gov, etc).
If you have NT4 clients, there is a w32time.exe utility that creates a service for time sync.
Anyway clients have no reason to change the time and should not be given this right.

[jitBob]

What, you didn't like the way I typed it out? :p

Going with what CeeBee said, I think CeeBee's solution is worth looking into as well for the reasons stated (i.e. if no admin rights on a pc), with an alternate login script for the 9x boxes using the net time cmd.
Alternatively you can place a batch file that runs the net time command in the startup group of the win98 boxes.

[Ya_know]

Alternatively you can place a batch file that runs the net time command in the startup group of the win98 boxes.

Ewwww, that stenches of decentralized administration... :p

[Sneakers]

Enabling the NTP on the server and modifying the registry on all client computers to use the server for sync did it.
Also wrote a batch file for those win98 clients.

Server - change HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\W32Tim e\Parameters
NtpServer - time.windows.com or time.nist.gov (or whatever NTP server you wish)
LocalNtp - change the DWORD value to 1 (comes disabled - 0 - when sbs 2003 is installed)
Win2k Client - Type - change the REG_SZ value to NTP
create a REG_SZ value named - NtpServer and give it your server name or IP as the value
WinXP client - NtpServer - your server name or IP


Thank you all, problem solved. :P

BTW, have you noticed that if a client runs his clock 12 hours forward or backward the Net Time just won't agree to sync him? :rolleyes: