The Most Reliable NTP Server, Ranked
Voting rules: Choose the server you think is the most reliable!
Updated on May 10, 2024 06:57
Accurate time synchronization is crucial for the seamless operation of countless systems across various sectors, including finance, telecommunications, and network security. A reliable Network Time Protocol (NTP) server ensures that all devices within a network maintain precise time, which is essential for time-stamping transactions, coordinating tasks, and maintaining system security.
By ranking the most reliable NTP servers, users gain the ability to select a server that best meets their specific requirements. This community-driven approach helps improve the accuracy of the list through real-world testing and feedback. We encourage you to contribute by voting for the NTP server that you find most dependable, aiding others in making an informed choice.
What Is the Most Reliable NTP Server?
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149votesThis server is run by the National Institute of Standards and Technology and is considered one of the most reliable NTP servers in the world. It provides accurate time information to a number of applications across the internet.The NIST Internet Time Service is a highly reliable Network Time Protocol (NTP) server operated by the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST). It provides access to accurate and synchronized time information for various computer systems and network devices.
- Accurate Time: Provides highly accurate time information.
- Reliability: Known for its high reliability and stability.
- Synchronization: Ensures synchronized time across different computer systems and network devices.
- Stratum Level: Operates at a stratum level of 1, indicating it directly connects to a reliable time source.
- Redundancy: Maintains redundant servers to ensure continuous time service availability.
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227votesAnother NIST-run server, time.gov provides accurate time information to a variety of users around the world. It is known for its reliability and accuracy.Time.gov is a highly reliable network time protocol (NTP) server that provides accurate time information.
- Stratum Level: 1
- Accuracy: Within milliseconds
- Availability: 24/7/365
- Location: Gaithersburg, Maryland, USA
- Server Type: Public
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338votes
Google Public NTP
Google Inc.This NTP server is run by Google and provides accurate time information to a variety of applications and services. It is known for its reliability and accuracy, and is used by many organizations around the world.The Google Public NTP (Network Time Protocol) is a free, highly accurate, and reliable time synchronization service provided by Google.- Stratum Level: Stratum 1
- Geographical Coverage: Global
- Redundancy: Multiple Google NTP servers across data centers
- High Availability: Load-balanced infrastructure
- High Accuracy: Synchronized with atomic clocks
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419votes
Microsoft NTP
Microsoft CorporationThis NTP server is run by Microsoft and provides accurate time information to a variety of applications and services. It is known for its reliability and accuracy, and is used by many organizations around the world.Microsoft NTP is a Network Time Protocol (NTP) server developed by Microsoft Corporation. It provides accurate time synchronization for Windows-based systems and devices in a networked environment.- Time accuracy: Provides time synchronization with an accuracy of milliseconds or better.
- Scalability: Supports a large number of client devices for robust synchronization in enterprise environments.
- Security: Includes secure authentication mechanisms to prevent unauthorized access and ensure the integrity of time information.
- Monitoring and management: Offers extensive monitoring and management capabilities to track time synchronization performance and troubleshoot issues.
- Redundancy: Supports redundant server configurations to ensure high availability and reliability.
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527votesThis is a collaborative project that provides a pool of NTP servers for users around the world. It is known for its reliability and accuracy, and is used by many organizations around the world.Pool.ntp.org is a large virtual cluster of NTP servers that aim to provide accurate and reliable time synchronization for network devices and users worldwide.
- Global Coverage: Consists of servers spread across various continents, ensuring worldwide synchronization.
- Redundancy: Multiple servers available for each region to handle high demand and ensure uninterrupted service.
- Stratum Levels: Servers configured with different stratum levels to support diverse requirements.
- Load Balancing: Distribution of client requests and load across multiple servers to prevent service overload.
- Monitoring: Continuous monitoring of servers to ensure accurate timekeeping and swift resolution of any issues.
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615votes
National Photo Company Collection · Public domainThis NTP server is run by the United States Naval Observatory and provides accurate time information to a variety of applications and services. It is known for its reliability and accuracy, and is used by many organizations around the world.The US Naval Observatory (USNO) is a reliable network time service that provides precise and accurate time synchronization for a wide range of applications. It is operated by the United States Naval Observatory, an agency of the U.S. Department of Defense.- Stratum Level: 1
- Location: Washington, D.C., United States
- Accuracy: Within milliseconds
- Redundancy: Multiple reliable time servers
- Secure Communication: Supports encrypted NTP (NTPsec)
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712votesThis NTP server is run by Microsoft and provides accurate time information to a variety of applications and services. It is known for its reliability and accuracy, and is used by many organizations around the world.Time.windows.com is a public NTP server operated by Microsoft Corporation. It provides reliable and accurate time synchronization for devices that require precise timekeeping. This server is widely used and trusted within the Windows operating system ecosystem and beyond.
- Availability: 24/7 operation
- Accuracy: Milliseconds
- Stratum level: Stratum 2
- Server location: Microsoft data centers across the globe
- Network connectivity: High-speed, redundant network connections
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87votes
NTP Time Server Monitor
MeinbergThis is a software tool that monitors NTP servers to ensure that they are providing accurate time information. It is used by many organizations to ensure the reliability and accuracy of their NTP servers.The NTP Time Server Monitor is a tool designed to monitor the performance and reliability of NTP (Network Time Protocol) servers. It allows users to keep track of the accuracy and stability of their NTP servers and obtain valuable insights for troubleshooting and optimization purposes.- Real-time monitoring: Provides real-time monitoring of NTP server performance.
- Accuracy measurement: Calculates and displays the accuracy of the NTP server's timekeeping.
- Stability analysis: Analyzes the stability of the NTP server by tracking the frequency and magnitude of time fluctuations.
- Alarm system: Generates alarms and notifications for time discrepancies or server failures.
- Logging and reporting: Logs and generates reports on NTP server performance metrics over time.
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910votesThis is a software tool that provides accurate time information to a variety of applications and services. It is known for its reliability and accuracy, and is used by many organizations around the world.Meinberg NTP is a highly reliable and accurate Network Time Protocol (NTP) server software. It is designed to synchronize clocks on computer systems and networks, providing precise timekeeping for various applications.
- High Accuracy: Provides sub-millisecond accuracy for time synchronization.
- Stratum 1 Capability: Capable of acting as a Stratum 1 time source, ensuring direct connection to a trusted reference clock.
- Industrial-grade Design: Designed to withstand complex network environments and harsh operating conditions.
- Redundancy Support: Provides support for high availability and fault tolerance through redundant server configurations.
- Security Features: Offers various security measures, including access control, authentication, and encryption.
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10-3votesThis is a software tool that provides accurate time information to a variety of applications and services. It is known for its reliability and accuracy, and is used by many organizations around the world.Chrony is an implementation of the Network Time Protocol (NTP) used for clock synchronization on computer systems. It is designed to be highly accurate and reliable, providing precise time synchronization for networked devices.
- Accuracy: Chrony uses various techniques such as combining multiple time sources and smart filtering algorithms to achieve high accuracy.
- Interoperability: It is compatible with standard NTP clients and servers, allowing seamless integration with existing NTP infrastructure.
- Synchronization: Chrony can accurately synchronize the system clock even in dynamically changing network conditions or when the network is disconnected.
- Security: It supports both symmetric and public key cryptography for authenticating and securing time synchronization.
- Monitoring: Chrony provides detailed monitoring and logging capabilities to track time synchronization performance and diagnose any issues.
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Ranking factors for reliable server
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Stratum levelA NTP server with a higher stratum level, indicating that it receives time from a more authoritative time source, is more reliable.
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LocationThe closer the NTP server is to your network, the more accurate and reliable it is likely to be.
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Network connectivityA NTP server with good network connectivity, low latency and low jitter is more reliable.
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RedundancyA NTP server with redundant time sources is more reliable than a server with a single time source.
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Monitoring and managementNTP servers that have regular monitoring and management for issues and configuration vulnerabilities are more reliable.
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History of reliabilityA track record of reliability, quality of service and uptime are good indicators of the server's reliability.
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SecurityNTP servers should have proper security mechanisms to prevent attacks and ensure the authenticity of the time source.
About this ranking
This is a community-based ranking of the most reliable NTP server. We do our best to provide fair voting, but it is not intended to be exhaustive. So if you notice something or servant is missing, feel free to help improve the ranking!
Statistics
- 12587 views
- 190 votes
- 10 ranked items
Voting Rules
A participant may cast an up or down vote for each servant once every 24 hours. The rank of each servant is then calculated from the weighted sum of all up and down votes.
More information on most reliable ntp server
Background Information: Understanding NTP Servers
NTP (Network Time Protocol) is a protocol that is used to synchronize time across different devices in a network. This ensures that all devices in the network have the same time, which is critical for many applications, including financial transactions, database synchronization, and network security.
An NTP server is a device that provides time synchronization services to other devices in a network. It receives time information from a reliable source, such as a GPS satellite, and broadcasts this time information to other devices in the network.
There are many NTP servers available on the internet, but not all of them are reliable. Some are configured incorrectly, while others are simply not accurate enough. When choosing an NTP server, it is important to choose one that is reliable and accurate to ensure that your network time is accurate and consistent.
In this article, we will discuss some of the most reliable NTP servers available and their key features.
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