Beginning with Windows 2000, Windows has included a time synchronization service Windows Time (w32time.exe). This service uses the SNTP protocol and can be used in conjunction with ClockWatch Server. In the Client/Server configuration described below, ClockWatch Server is acting as the network timeserver for other computers on the network. The following discusses the simple steps to set up a network that keeps in sync.
 

In this case both the Server and the client are communicating with each other using the SNTP protocol which normally uses User Datagram Protocol (UDP) port 123.

1) Load ClockWatch Server on the designated time server. This does not have to be a "server" other than it should normally be turned on and be visible by all the clients on the local network.

2) Configuring ClockWatch server to act as an SNTP timeserver

1. Open the Clients options tab in ClockWatch Server

2. Enable "Listen for Clients" if not already checked

3. Set the communication port number to "123"

4. select  "SNTP" as the client protocol

5. press 'OK' to save the changes

Client Options Tab in ClockWatch

Windows XP/2003

If your computer is a member of a domain, your computer clock is probably synchronized automatically by a network time server. If your computer is not a member of a domain, you can synchronize your computer clock with an Internet time server

This procedure provides information on switching to a different  timeserver.

To change the clock synchronization server.

1. Open Date and Time in Control Panel.

2. Click the Internet Time tab.

   The Internet Time tab is not available if your computer is a member of a domain. See time synchronization in a domain.

3. Select the Automatically synchronize with an Internet time server check box.
4. In the Server box, enter the name of the ClockWatch timeserver configured in the step above. Use the network name of the computer (or the IP address).
5. Click Update Now to test the connection to the timeserver.

 Notes

• To open Date and Time, click Start, click Control Panel, and then double-click Date and Time.
• Internet time synchronization updates your clock on a regular basis, but only when you are connected to the network. It takes just a moment and should not interfere with your work.

Windows 2000 (Professional and Server) use a time synchronization service to synchronize the date and time of computers running on a Windows 2000-based network.

If you are using Active Directory -
Synchronized time is critical in Window 2000 because the default authentication protocol (MIT Kerberos version 5) uses workstation time as part of the authentication ticket generation process. If your Windows 2000 clients belong to a Windows 2000 Active Directory Domain see time synchronization in a domain.

If the Windows 2000 clients belong to a workgroup -
you can manually configure the time synchronization settings:
 

Setting the timeserver
You can set the timeserver  using the following net time command with the setsntp option, where server_name is the DNS server name, and  ':' is the required conjunction.
net time /setsntp:server_name

Alternatively, you can use the server's IP address:
net time /setsntp:server_IP

For example if the server name was 'beagle' you would issue the following command:
net time /setsntp:beagle

You can then test the connection to the timeserver by typing:
w32tm –once

To check which timeserver you're currently using, type:
net time /querysntp

 

Turning on the Time Service

To synchronize with the timeserver the Time Service must be running on the client.  You can start and stop the Time Service using the Windows Control Panel

You can also start and stop the time service using the net start/stop command:

To manually start W32Time using net start at the command prompt, type:
net start w32time

To manually stop W32Time using net stop at the command prompt, type:
net stop w32time
 

Windows 95/98/Me

The Win32 Network Time Synchronization Service does not run on Windows 95/98/Me. We suggest you use the ClockWatch Client for client time synchronization.