What are NTP servers?
NTP servers synchronize clocks in a network
A Network Time Protocol (NTP) server is a device or application that synchronizes clocks within a network using the NTP standard. This ensures unified timekeeping, which is vital for tasks such as logging events and maintaining secure and reliable communications. While Precision Time Protocol (PTP) is used for ultra-precise synchronization in fields like telecommunications and financial trading, NTP servers remain essential for IT applications where millisecond-level accuracy is sufficient.
Are NTP servers still needed?
NTP servers remain widely used for their cost-effectiveness and reliability, while PTP is preferred for applications such as telecommunications and financial trading, where nanosecond precision is required.
Our feature-rich NTP servers ensure secure, reliable timing and synchronization services and support efficient operations across legacy and modern infrastructures.
Network Time Protocol’s legacy
For decades, NTP servers have provided reliable timing for packet-switched networks, underpinning the growth of digital communications and ensuring synchronized timestamps for critical processes.
How NTP servers attain accurate timing information
NTP servers operate at different levels in a hierarchical system. At the top of the pyramid are stratum 0 devices. These are not NTP servers but trusted timing sources incorporating GNSS receivers or atomic cesium clocks synchronized to Coordinated Universal Time (UTC). Stratum 0 devices provide a reliable reference source for stratum 1 NTP servers, which then distribute the timing data they receive downstream to stratum 2 and stratum 3 NTP servers. Lower-stratum NTP servers always synchronize with higher-level devices and applications, and this is how precision is maintained across large networks.
A unified time reference
NTP servers ensure synchronized timestamps across legacy and modern systems, supporting efficient operations, reliable communications and seamless integration for diverse network environments.
Secure and scalable Oscilloquartz NTP servers
Oscilloquartz NTP servers are part of our advanced portfolio of stratum 0 timing and synchronization solutions. Designed to meet the needs of both modern and legacy networks, they are available in various sizes and configurations to fit any application. These open, flexible and scalable devices integrate seamlessly into your network, providing precise time synchronization for connected NTP servers. With advanced security features such as symmetric and auto-key encryption, Oscilloquartz NTP servers ensure robust and secure time synchronization, protecting against spoofing and other malicious attacks. Discover how Oscilloquartz’s advanced solutions can elevate your network’s performance and future-proof your operations.
