NTP requests

Question

This is output from the log of the router.

The NTP server was set to "netgear"

What would cause all of these requests? Looks like it was polling every hour.

Thanks for any ideas.

[Time synchronized with NTP server] Wednesday, Apr 07,2021 08:33:05
[Time synchronized with NTP server] Wednesday, Apr 07,2021 07:03:05
[Time synchronized with NTP server] Wednesday, Apr 07,2021 06:03:05
[Time synchronized with NTP server] Wednesday, Apr 07,2021 05:03:05
[Time synchronized with NTP server] Wednesday, Apr 07,2021 04:03:04
[Time synchronized with NTP server] Wednesday, Apr 07,2021 03:03:04
[Time synchronized with NTP server] Wednesday, Apr 07,2021 02:03:04
[Time synchronized with NTP server] Wednesday, Apr 07,2021 01:03:03
[Time synchronized with NTP server] Wednesday, Apr 07,2021 00:03:02
[Time synchronized with NTP server] Tuesday, Apr 06,2021 23:03:02
[Time synchronized with NTP server] Tuesday, Apr 06,2021 22:03:02
[Time synchronized with NTP server] Tuesday, Apr 06,2021 21:03:03
[Time synchronized with NTP server] Tuesday, Apr 06,2021 20:03:02
[Time synchronized with NTP server] Tuesday, Apr 06,2021 19:03:02
[Time synchronized with NTP server] Tuesday, Apr 06,2021 18:03:02
[Time synchronized with NTP server] Tuesday, Apr 06,2021 17:03:02
[Time synchronized with NTP server] Tuesday, Apr 06,2021 16:03:01
[Time synchronized with NTP server] Tuesday, Apr 06,2021 15:03:02
[Time synchronized with NTP server] Tuesday, Apr 06,2021 14:03:02
[Time synchronized with NTP server] Tuesday, Apr 06,2021 13:03:01
[Time synchronized with NTP server] Tuesday, Apr 06,2021 12:03:00
[Time synchronized with NTP server] Tuesday, Apr 06,2021 11:03:00
[Time synchronized with NTP server] Tuesday, Apr 06,2021 10:03:00
[Time synchronized with NTP server] Tuesday, Apr 06,2021 09:02:59
[Time synchronized with NTP server] Tuesday, Apr 06,2021 08:02:59
[Time synchronized with NTP server] Tuesday, Apr 06,2021 07:02:58
[Time synchronized with NTP server] Tuesday, Apr 06,2021 06:02:57
[Time synchronized with NTP server] Tuesday, Apr 06,2021 05:02:57
[Time synchronized with NTP server] Tuesday, Apr 06,2021 04:02:58
[Time synchronized with NTP server] Tuesday, Apr 06,2021 03:02:58
[Time synchronized with NTP server] Tuesday, Apr 06,2021 02:02:57
[Time synchronized with NTP server] Tuesday, Apr 06,2021 01:02:57
[Time synchronized with NTP server] Tuesday, Apr 06,2021 00:02:57
[Time synchronized with NTP server] Monday, Apr 05,2021 23:02:57
[Time synchronized with NTP server] Monday, Apr 05,2021 22:02:56
[Time synchronized with NTP server] Monday, Apr 05,2021 21:02:57
[Time synchronized with NTP server] Monday, Apr 05,2021 20:02:57
[Time synchronized with NTP server] Monday, Apr 05,2021 19:02:57
[Time synchronized with NTP server] Monday, Apr 05,2021 18:02:57
[Time synchronized with NTP server] Monday, Apr 05,2021 17:02:56
[Time synchronized with NTP server] Monday, Apr 05,2021 16:02:56
[Time synchronized with NTP server] Monday, Apr 05,2021 15:02:56
[Time synchronized with NTP server] Monday, Apr 05,2021 14:02:56
[Time synchronized with NTP server] Monday, Apr 05,2021 13:02:56
[Time synchronized with NTP server] Monday, Apr 05,2021 12:02:55
[Time synchronized with NTP server] Monday, Apr 05,2021 11:02:55
[Time synchronized with NTP server] Monday, Apr 05,2021 10:02:55
[Time synchronized with NTP server] Monday, Apr 05,2021 09:02:55
[Time synchronized with NTP server] Monday, Apr 05,2021 08:02:54
[Time synchronized with NTP server] Monday, Apr 05,2021 07:02:55
[Time synchronized with NTP server] Monday, Apr 05,2021 06:02:55
[Time synchronized with NTP server] Monday, Apr 05,2021 05:02:54
[Time synchronized with NTP server] Monday, Apr 05,2021 04:02:54
[Time synchronized with NTP server] Monday, Apr 05,2021 03:02:54
[Time synchronized with NTP server] Monday, Apr 05,2021 02:02:54
[Time synchronized with NTP server] Monday, Apr 05,2021 01:02:54

antinode · Answer

&gt; What would cause all of these requests? [...]&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; A router which is trying to keep its clock accurate?&nbsp;&gt; [...] Looks like it was polling every hour.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; I agree.&nbsp; What, exactly, is the problem?

Lostcluster · Answer

The router does not know if it's time is correct or not. It has a url for the NTP server and a polling frequency. The data updates the clock and internal hardware runs the time until the next polling. It could be wrong the entire time between pollings and it wouldn't know.

In the setup menu there are choices for NTP server (netgear or pick your own) but no polling interval. I have to assume that it is hardcoded in the firmware. This log is when the NTP server was set to netgear servers.

The fact that it did this hourly polling for 3 days and then stopped is very strange.

Short of reflashing the router I am at a loss on how to address.

antinode · Answer

&gt; The router does not know if it's time is correct or not. [...]&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; Who does?&nbsp; Greater familiarity with "Chicago" song lyrics might yieldsome insight.&nbsp;&gt; [...] It could be wrong the entire time between pollings and it&gt; wouldn't know. [...]&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; Sure.&nbsp; So?&nbsp; How much drift are you seeing in an hour?&nbsp; What's yourtolerance?&nbsp;&gt; [...] What, exactly, is the problem?&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; Still a mystery.&nbsp;&gt; [...] I have to assume that it is hardcoded in the firmware. [...]&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; That's what I'd expect.&gt; The fact that it did this hourly polling for 3 days and then stopped&gt; is very strange.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; The fact that it _stopped_ is your complaint?&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; I'd wonder about the completeness of the log, too.&nbsp;&gt; Short of reflashing the router I am at a loss on how to address.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; Does a simple restart change anything?&nbsp; I'm still at a loss regarding_what_ to address.&nbsp;&gt; Model: R8500|Nighthawk X8 Tri-Band AC5300 WiFi Router&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; Firmware version?&nbsp; Connected to what?

Lostcluster · Answer

Firmware is 1.0.2.144WAN is connected to CM1000 Netgear cable modem&nbsp;The 2 aggregation ports are connected to 2 ports on GS324T Netgear switch - settings are 802.11ad.&nbsp;5G radios are combined to single SSD and 2.4G radio is running.&nbsp; No guest network is setup.&nbsp;I don't care if the time is right, all of my internal devices use my own NTP server.&nbsp; Only the router is getting time from a separate external source.&nbsp; I don't have a complaint per se, but the router is 5 years old and I am wondering if it is just starting to fail.&nbsp; My inquiry was in hopes of finding someone else that has observed this kind of behavior, or feedback from a technical expert as to how the polling frequency is supposed to work and what could make it change since there are no user settings for the parameter.&nbsp;&nbsp;Personnaly, I doubt that 95% or home users ever look at their logs.&nbsp;The logs are what they are, when you do a router update the old logs are gone.&nbsp; They appear to be stored in ram.Thanks for your interest.&nbsp;

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NTP requests

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