Incorrect time on security logs....

All my security reports are producing wrong timestamps. What is a good light weight program that I can install on my win2k3 boxes to synch time from a local time server box that I have onsite. All input is appreciated. Thanks.

I belive I installed atomic clock. I did a google search and it was one of the first few links. Very small download. All of my windows servers used it.

EDIT -- I have not used W2k3 Server, but I know that Windows XP has a built in time sync feature. You might want to see if W2k3 server has that built in and enable it.

There's plenty of free time synch programs out there that will sych at any period you tell it to. I don't remember the one I'm using right now.... i used to use one called Atomic but it was a bit intrusive/if it couldn't find the time server it threw up a million individual errors that have to be clicked off individally.

Call me silly but why not use the service that comes with Windows?

Windows time is the service name.

At the command line, (once you are sure its running)
net time /setntp:time.someserver.com

After that, verify its working with this...
net time /querysntp

Personally, I have 2 NTP servers that the entire enterprise must use so that we can keep accurate timestamps on all logs. This aids greatly in forensics.

--TH13

Horse is right. I use the command line version for the servers and apply policy to workstations on the domain.

There are a number of time servers to connect to that are reliable. NOA is a good source, as well as your local state university. Here is a link to public time server resources:

http://ntp.isc.org/bin/view/Servers/WebHome

I try to avoid pointing people to downloadable time tools. I'm afraid they will think PrecisionTime is a cool thing. Nothing of the sort, it's Spyware!

Off-topic...

mrlucifer you really ought to get together with our other member the Messiah and try to work things out ! :D





Sorry...just had to! ;)

Another vote for the built-in NTP service first mentioned by thehorse13.

I use it on all computers and on all servers I've built.

Funny how some problems with DC's, password authentication and network application operation simply vanish when everyone is on the same time.

I point my firewall, routers to the NIST time servers. See here http://www.boulder.nist.gov/timefreq...e-servers.html

I point to _time-a.nist.gov_ (129.6.15.28 NIST, Gaithersburg, Maryland)

Yep, I point all W32 workstations to the DCs (via the mechanism I mentioned above) and the DCs get their time from our spiffy Govt. NTP servers. All unix machines point directly to the NTP servers.

Anyway, as ZT3000 mentioned, machines with bad time settings cause interesting and annoying problems, especially on unix hosts.

Thanks for all the useful information. I knew this site could help.....