PawPrint.net Forum

I have a new PC with Windows Vista as an operating system. I have installed the latest version of WorldTime - which would be a wonderful tool, if it would work: the time synchronisation fails. The program announces: network detected, but after a certain time Windows sends the message: no response and whether it should look in the Internet for a solution to the problem, but which obviously is not found, the next time the same things happens again. The program even stalls with "no response" when I only want to select a time server.
A separate question but connected to the above one: is it possible to select another time server as one out of the list supplied with the program?
Greetings from the Lake of Konstanz where it is a lovely spring day
Harald

Working off the list link provided by raving above, I found that puting in the direct IP address, rather than the server name, works (on WT5 at least)

fyi

The following servers are working consistently for me now.  Note, no uppercase:
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time-a.nist.gov
time-a.timefreq.bldrdoc.gov
time-b.nist.gov
time-b.timefreq.bldrdoc.gov
time-c.timefreq.bldrdoc.gov
tick.ucla.edu
utcnist.colorado.edu
nist.expertsmi.com
nist1.symmetricom.com
ntp-sop.inria.fr
time.ien.it

While a couple of the following seem to work sometimes, the bulk of these are consistently failing:
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clock.llnl.gov
lerc-dns.lerc.nasa.gov
nist1.columbiacountyga.gov
ntp.nasa.gov
time-nw.nist.gov
time.nist.gov
navobs1.usnogps.navy.mil
navobs2.usnogps.navy.mil
ntp-gatech.usno.navy.mi
ntp2.usno.navy.mil
tick.usno.navy.mil
tick.usnogps.navy.mil
tock.usno.navy.mil
tock.usnogps.navy.mil
ben.cs.wisc.edu
bigben.cac.washington.edu
bitsy.mit.edu
mizbeaver.udel.edu
navobs1.gatech.edu
navobs1.wustl.edu
ncar.ucar.edu
ntp.cc.utexas.edu
ntp1.nss.udel.edu
otc1.psu.edu
rackety.udel.edu
terrapin.csc.ncsu.edu
tick.gatech.edu
tick.mit.edu
tick.uh.edu
tick.wustl.edu
truechimer.cso.uiuc.edu
umd1.umd.edu
wwvb.isi.edu
ncnoc.ncren.net
nist1c.witime.net
nist1y.witime.net
nist1j.witime.net
ntp0.ja.net
ntp0.nl.net
utcnist1.reston.mci.net
clepsydra.dec.com
nist1.aol-ca.symmetricom.com
nist1.aol-va.symmetricom.com
ntp0.sdd.hp.com
ntp1.delmarva.com
time-nw.nist.com
time.windows.com
usno.pa-x.dec.com
wwvb.erg.sri.com
canon.inria.fr
chronos.univ-rennes1.fr
clock.cmc.ec.gc.ca
clock.isc.org
clock.nc.fukuoka-u.ac.jp
clock.osf.org
clock.tl.fukuoka-u.ac.jp
fuzzy.nta.no
jamtepat.singnet.com.sg
ntp.cs.mu.oz.au 1007
ntp.dgf.uchile.cl
ntp.ml.csiro.au
ntp.syd.dms.csiro.au
ntps1.cs.tu-berlin.de
ntps1.rz.uni-osnabrueck.de
ntps1.uni-erlangen.de
ntpsuni-erlangen.de
swifty.dap.csiro.au
swisstime.ethz.ch
tempo.cstv.to.cnr.it
tick.usask.ca
time.service.uit.no
time1.stupi.se
tock.nml.csir.co.za
tock.usask.ca
wave.mbari.org
wwwa2.kph.uni-mainz.de

Regards,
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-Thri
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sbaker said:
Just FYI - the time server addresses are most certainly NOT case sensitive - as with all domain names they are not case sensitive ... except in the case that some other software/router/gateway is treating different case in addresses differently along the way.
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I have no doubt regarding what you say about server addresses being case insensitive and suspect you´re right about something along the way in the network (for some users along some routes) being the culprit.

Thanks for the FYI.  Time permitting, at some point, I may go through (not all at once, mind you) and figure out which servers work reliably all the time for me, and which don´t.  It might be interesting to determine if my results could be duplicated by others.
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-Thri
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Just FYI - the time server addresses are most certainly NOT case sensitive - as with all domain names they are not case sensitive.

I expect that any altered response relating to changing the case of servers is entirely coincidental - except in the case that some other software/router/gateway is treating different case in addresses differently along the way. If the latter is the case - it´s likely an isolated, network specific, case.

First of all, I mistakenly thought I´d tested all the servers listed in my first post of today.  As it turns out, according to the log, I was only testing the same one over and over again.  I guess in order to test all the servers, one has to exit and restart WorldTime for each newly selected default server.

The reason I thought the response time had slowed down was because I had selected a server that didn´t work, and what was really going on was that I was repeatedly trying the same failing server and it was timing out and then going to the first server on my list (Nist.expertsmi.com) which is working well.

So, it seems that while uppercasing the first letter in a server address is probably a good thing - certainly it is for Time-a.nist.gov - some servers are working and some aren´t.

For me, this begs the question or speculation: perhaps the problem with the servers that aren´t working has a lot to do with robinrodrigues´s first post of May 30:
I got the following information from one of the websites (http://tf.nist.gov/service/its.htm )may be somebody could fix this problem from the information given below...

If this is the issue, then perhaps WorldTime will get updated someday in order to resolve the problem (hint, hint).
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-Thri
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For some reason, the response time for all the servers - all of the handfull I just tried - seems to have slowed down quite a bit.  But they´re still working.
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-Thri
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I got this to work, per your instructions!

To retain the capitalizaton, one must edit and save the appropriate entries in the <wtservers.wtd> file.

I´ve tested my entire collection¹ of servers in that file, and they all work (and FAST!).  Here they are:

Nist.expertsmi.com
Nist1-dc.WiTime.net
Nist1-ny.WiTime.net
Nist1-sj.WiTime.net
Nist1.aol-ca.symmetricom.com
Nist1.aol-va.symmetricom.com
Nist1.columbiacountyga.gov
Nist1.symmetricom.com
Time.windows.com
Time-c.timefreq.bldrdoc.gov
Time-nw.nist.gov
Utcnist.colorado.edu
--------------------------------
Ben.cs.wisc.edu
Bigben.cac.washington.edu
Bitsy.mit.edu
Canon.inria.fr
Chronos.univ-rennes1.fr
Clepsydra.dec.com
Clock.cmc.ec.gc.ca
Clock.isc.org
Clock.llnl.gov
Clock.nc.fukuoka-u.ac.jp
Clock.osf.org
Clock.tl.fukuoka-u.ac.jp
Fuzzy.nta.no
Jamtepat.singnet.com.sg
Lerc-dns.lerc.nasa.gov
Mizbeaver.udel.edu
Navobs1.gatech.edu
Navobs1.usnogps.navy.mil
Navobs1.wustl.edu
Navobs2.usnogps.navy.mil
Ncar.ucar.edu
Ncnoc.ncren.net
Ntp-gatech.usno.navy.mi
Ntp-sop.inria.fr
Ntp.cc.utexas.edu
Ntp.cs.mu.oz.au
Ntp.dgf.uchile.cl
Ntp.ml.csiro.au
Ntp.nasa.gov
Ntp.syd.dms.csiro.au
Ntp0.ja.net
Ntp0.nl.net
Ntp0.sdd.hp.com
Ntp1.delmarva.com
Ntp1.nss.udel.edu
Ntp2.usno.navy.mil
Ntps1-0.cs.tu-berlin.de
Ntps1-0.uni-erlangen.de
Ntps1-1.cs.tu-berlin.de
Ntps1-1.rz.Uni-Osnabrueck.de
Ntps1-1.uni-erlangen.de
Ntps1-2.uni-erlangen.de
Otc1.psu.edu
Rackety.udel.edu
Swifty.dap.csiro.au
Swisstime.ethz.ch
Tempo.cstv.to.cnr.it
Terrapin.csc.ncsu.edu
Tick.gatech.edu
Tick.mit.edu
Tick.ucla.edu
Tick.uh.edu
Tick.usask.ca
Tick.usno.navy.mil
Tick.usnogps.navy.mil
Tick.wustl.edu
Time-a.nist.gov
Time-a.timefreq.bldrdoc.gov
Time-b.nist.gov
Time-b.timefreq.bldrdoc.gov
Time-nw.nist.com
Time.ien.it
Time.nist.gov
Time.service.uit.no
Time1.Stupi.SE
Tock.nml.csir.co.za
Tock.usask.ca
Tock.usno.navy.mil
Tock.usnogps.navy.mil
Truechimer.cso.uiuc.edu
Umd1.umd.edu
Usno.pa-x.dec.com
Utcnist1.reston.mci.net
Wave.mbari.org
Wwvb.erg.sri.com
Wwvb.isi.edu
Wwwa2.kph.uni-mainz.de

Many thanks to robinrodrigues for figuring this out.  By the way, some of the greatest discoveries in human history have been instances of serendipity - who knows?... perhaps going back to fire!
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-Thri
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1.  the servers above the dashed line are "new" ones I added to the default list.  And it´s alphabetized within sections; i.e., above and below that dashed line.  I added the new ones per the information in raving´s post of 2007.0424.

Hello friends I accidentally got this to work. Please follow the procedure below. I don´t know why this works but surely puts and end to this synchronisation issue!

1# Go to Preferences --> Settings
2# On the Synchronization tab enter the NTP server as Time-a.nist.gov
3# Please note to keep the NTP server as case sensitive. If you use lower case it does not work!

Let me know if this fixes the problem at your end.

I got the following information from one of the websites (http://tf.nist.gov/service/its.htm )may be somebody could fix this problem from the information given below:

Starting on 14 April 2007 the server time.nist.gov will no longer respond to requests for time in the TIME format (as defined in RFC-868). These requests are generated by a number of different programs including DATE, RDATE, and other programs that connect to the time server using tcp or udp port 37. All of the other NIST servers (except for time-nw.nist.gov) will continue to respond to requests to either tcp or udp port 37 for time in the format specified in RFC-868.

However, this format has poor error-handling capabilities in general, and many of the client programs that use this format are poorly written and may not handle network errors properly. Therefore users are strongly encouraged to switch to the Network Time Protocol (NTP), which is more robust and provides greater accuracy. We eventually intend to phase out support for the TIME format on all servers.

Please send questions or comments regarding this issue to Judah Levine: jlevine@boulder.nist.gov

bobjk wrote: “OK - mines fixed. I was running another program that was blocking access to the time servers.”
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What was the other program?
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-Thri
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OK - mines fixed.
I was running another program that was blocking access to the time servers.

[blue]Scott Baker wrote:
“I don´t think all time servers will necessarily respond to a ping the nist ones don´t. It does sound like a connectivity problem - perhaps your ISP is blocking the ports or something?? sorry not sure what to suggest.”[/blue]

Scott-

I never received a notification of your reply, so didn´t realize you responded. Thanks for the info on ping.  I´m going to ask around in a Windows forum somewhere to see if someone might be able to shed some light on this.

Thanks again.
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-Thri
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I´m running V6 and I´ve had this problem for a while - not sure when it started.

Same problem - Worldtime (timsync) times out no matter what server is specified. I´ve also tried runbning timesync from the command line with a 30 second timeout. Still get the timeout.

I can sync OK using the XP clock sync - but not Worldtime.

My firewall shows no blocked traffic.

I tried running Network monitor.

When timesync runs I see a DNS query and response - then that´s it - it seems timesync doesn´t even attempt to send a sync to the timeserver.

If I use the XP clock sync - I see no DNS requests but I do see the expected NTP request and response.

Does this help any?

hi there,

i have begun seen this problem on my windows xp machine recently.  i think it might have something to do with microsoft´s most recent security update.  first i thought that worldtime was locking up, but found out that it was locking up while performing synchronization.  i used to synchronize hourly before with no problems.
after reading this thread, i have disabled auto-sync.  

ds

I don´t think all time servers will necessarily respond to a ping the nist ones don´t. It does sound like a connectivity problem - perhaps your ISP is blocking the ports or something?? sorry not sure what to suggest.

Just tried pinging some timesync servers.  In addition to the one below, I tried time.windows.com.  It met with the same results... even when designating a long (15-sec) wait period.

I´m assuming that one can ping time servers and expect to get a response just like any other machine?/.


Note the difference when pinging my mail server:


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-Thri
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Yes, Scott... I tend to be of a similar mind on this... I don´t think it´s a problem on the server end; rather, my connectivity to the ´Net.  FWIW, I´m cable-modem attached via Time·Warner.  In the near future, I´ll be traveling almost all the time, and will connect via VZW cellular broadband.  It will be interesting to see if this improves the situation.  I suspect it will.
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-Thri
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For what it´s worth I´ve been using the time-a.nist.gov server for the last several years from all across N. America as I travel and have never had a problem syncing with that one. It´s a public server run by the US Gov so it´s very reliable.

Scott-

Thanks on all counts.
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-Thri
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P.S. Just checked to see if timesync would work today and ... ... ... no soap!  Oh well.

I can explain why that happens (and FYI I deleted the extras - an admin-only function) when you make a post your web browser remembers the data you "posted" if you refresh at that point - it sends it again. In most form-based pages that will generate another copy of whatever it was that you were posting - thus the multiple replies.

the safe way to do it is to use the breadcrumb link at the top of every page and just click on the post title there - it will reload the current page (excluding your post data) from then on you can refresh at will without creating any extra posts.

But of a tongue-twister that with all the posts and forum forms etc ;)

It would seem that if I´m looking at this thread and press the refresh key, my last post gets duplicated.  Very weird.  Interestingly, this happened the other day in another web-based forum.  I´d be happy to delete my extra posts if I could, but I don´t think I can.  Sorry.
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-Thri
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Thanks for your replies Scott and David.
¶ I did a manual sync (using the Windows function) with time.windows.com and it took over 10 seconds.  I was able to repeat this at least once. Subsequent attempts timed out.
¶ It would seem that there´s something about my network connection such that regardless of the server, I do, from time to time, encounter very long server communications times.  I guess this will have to remain a mystery.
¶ In terms of a solution, it kind of begs the issue of being able to designate custom time-out durations.  Perhaps in some future release?
¶ Anyway, thanks again for trying to help.
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-Thri
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I can´t offer a cure but can suggest a workaround.  

Let Windows do the synching.  

Control Panel/Date and time/Internet Time tab.

Check this is working by clicking "update now" and wait for the success message below.


Stop WorldTime doing it

In Preferneces/Synchronisation tab unclick both boxes under Auto-Sync  That is

No set time at startup
No set time automatically

I have been using it this way for years.

Windows only synchs once a week but unless you need precision timing for scientific purposes (say, < 1 second error)it will be quite adequate.

Then you will have none of the problems.

Best Regards
David Grugeon

it´s the timesync.exe that actually does the sync. if that´s been added then it probably isn´t the firewall that´s causing it to fail.

Hard to tell what might be causing it - probably just timing out during the attempt - it´s probably working some times and timing out others (thus the spotty response)

I should add that I´m using the standard firewall that´s built into WinXP/Home.  I just went into the exceptions settings and added <timesync.exe> and <wtserver.exe> - unfortunately to no avail.  It still ain´t workin´!
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-Thri
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"Do you have a firewall that is blocking worldtime´s access to the net?"
----------------------------
Yes, I do have a firewall, and I´d be happy to tweak it (if there´s a way) to let WorldTime do its thing.  But if it is the firewall that´s causing the problem, I´m not sure how to reconcile that with the fact that sometimes WorldTime sync works and at other times it doesn´t, with no intervening teaking of the firewall settings.

In any event, thanks for the reply.  Much appreciated.
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-Thri
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Do you have a firewall that is blocking worldtime´s access to the net? this is the most common problem and the cause of the system hand that block´s people´s access to start/run etc...

I´ve gone to the link suggested and inserted the "new" servers into <wtservers.wtd>.  I tried each and every one of them and none of them work. Nor do any of the "old" servers.  That´s a total of 88 (just like the number of keys on a piano)!  Since none of these 88 work, I have to think there´s something else going on here.  I just don´t know what it is.

I don´t run WorldTime on a coninuous basis, probably because I´ve encountered this before.  I´ll start up the program and then can´t get any servers to sync.  I close it down, come back to it later (maybe days or weeks), start it up and it´s working.

If anyone has a clue about why this is and/or how to fix it, I´d sure be grateful.  Thanks.
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-Thri
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[#]Well I´m running v5, and it wont sync any more, neither would my taskbar clock. On the taskbar clock I just changed to another server, and it werks. seems some servers were dropped after the new rules.  Anyway, to add a new server to your clock, go say, here....  http://tf.nist.gov/service/time-servers.html  and pick a server,  say  ´nist1-ny.WiTime.net´  and paste it into the dropdown box with the servers.  its in there, but mine wont sync, so I cant tell.  worked on the taskbar clock.