Penguin

Servers For Everyone

For smaller networks and end users, the best NTP servers to use are the ones supplied by your service provider or ISP.

Many ISPs have servers for their customers:

  • ntp.iprolink.co.nz
  • tk1.ihug.co.nz to tk3.ihug.co.nz
  • time.paradise.net.nz

or you could try querying your ISP's DNS servers with ntp or ntp1.

There is a pool of servers at nz.pool.ntp.org, which provides RoundRobin DNS access to publicly accessible NTP servers that have agreed to be part of the pool.

Stratum 1 Servers

First: be nice! You shouldn't synchronise to a stratum 1 server for your small network -- if everyone did that then the server would need too much bandwidth. For example, NetGear hard-coded a public NTP server into some of their consumer products, which eventually ended up using hundreds of Mbits/second of the university's bandwidth, even after they were forced to shut down the server.

If you are running a substantial network, you should install your own NTP servers, based on the servers below.

.nz Registry Services

There are four stratum 1 NTP servers provided by .nz Registry Services (NZRS) for network operators based within New Zealand. They are operated by NZRS Limited, a wholly-owned subsidiary of InternetNZ.

It is not a public network but is covered by an Acceptable use policy. These timeservers are provided primarily for network operators based within New Zealand and peripatetic users who are ordinarily based in NZ.

  • ntp1 is in Albany connected via FX.
  • ntp2 is in Auckland CBD connected via ICONZ.
  • ntp3 is in Wellington CBD connected via FX.
  • ntp4 is in Christchurch connected via 2Degrees.

The host names s[1-4].ntp.net.nz can be used for:

  • Desktops and laptops
  • Your own home router

The host names p[1-4].ntp.net.nz can be used for:

  • Stratum 2 NTP servers.
  • Kit normally found in a server room, such as servers, enterprise routers (not consumer products), SANs etc.

The following devices are not allowed:

  • Consumer devices such as printers, cameras, mobile phones, etc.

All four are Sonoma D12 NTP servers, each connected to a differential GPS antenna on the roof and each with a rubidium oscillator to provide a stable clock in the event of an issue with the GPS signal. They are not actively synchronised to each other. more

The Measurement Standards Laboratory

The standard for time in New Zealand is maintained by the Measurement Standards Laboratory, part of Industrial Research Limited. MSL runs several public NTP servers that are referenced to UTC(MSL).

The servers are publicly available to all connections from within NZ.

  • msltime.irl.cri.nz
  • msltime1.irl.cri.nz
  • msltime2.irl.cri.nz

They are FreeBSD-based servers synchronised using a 1 pulse per second signal to the New Zealand time standard. The server time is typically stable with respect to the time in the HP5071A caesium clocks to around 1 microsecond. more

Universities

Most universities restrict access to their NTP servers, however some are publicly accessible:

  • ntp.public.otago.ac.nz (Please notify before using)
  • ntp.massey.ac.nz

For a long time WaikatoUniversity had public NTP servers. They are still available but no longer publicly accessible.

See also