Microsoft Windows XP "Internet Time" does not work.

  • 3145809
  • 14-Nov-2006
  • 29-May-2012

Environment

Novell NetWare 6 SP2
Microsoft Windows XP
TIMESYNC.NLM 6.02.21

Situation

Microsoft Windows XP "Internet Time" does not work.
Using "Automatically synchronize with an Internet time server" results in an error: "An error occurred while Windows was synchronizing with ...."
Error: "NTP Peering packet . Discarding the packet"

Resolution

An Enhancement Request has been filed (RFE100000008915) against the current version of TimeSync to support NTP Peer Mode.
This is supposed to be fixed in the next release of NetWare (codename Nakoma).
WORKAROUND: It is possible to switch WindowsXP to being a NTP Client, instead of being an NTP Peer:

Use Regedit to edit HKLM\System\CurrentControlSet\Services\w32time\TimeProviders\NtpServer\Enable = 0
Then the NTP packets (request) comming from the Workstation, will no longer be mode 1 (symmetic active) but mode 3 (client).

Windows XP will continue sending NTP packets with source port 123, NetWare will answer with either NTP version 1 (if server is not Synchronized), or NTP version 3 (if server is Synchronized).

Additional Information

The client is using UDP/123 for both sending and receiving. And TIMESYNC.NLM only support incomming trafic on UDP/123 and outgoing on an unprivilidged port (dynamic, or above 1024).
TimeSync in it current version support NTP Server and NTP Client mode. Microsoft Windowx XP support NTP Peer mode, which is not supported (see WorkAround).
Registration file to disable NtpServer:

[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Services\w32time\TimeProviders\NtpServer]
"Enabled"=dword:00000000

DLC: ----- DLC Header -----
DLC:
DLC: Frame 1 arrived at 17:32:58.5960; frame size is 92 (005C hex) bytes.
DLC: Destination = Station xxxxxxxxxxxx
DLC: Source = Station xxxxxxxxxxxx
DLC: Ethertype = 0800 (IP)
DLC:
IP: ----- IP Header -----
IP:
IP: Version = 4, header length = 20 bytes
IP: Type of service = 00
IP: 000. .... = routine
IP: ...0 .... = normal delay
IP: .... 0... = normal throughput
IP: .... .0.. = normal reliability
IP: .... ..0. = ECT bit - transport protocol will ignore the CE bit
IP: .... ...0 = CE bit - no congestion
IP: Total length = 76 bytes
IP: Identification = 485
IP: Flags = 0X
IP: .0.. .... = may fragment
IP: ..0. .... = last fragment
IP: Fragment offset = 0 bytes
IP: Time to live = 128 seconds/hops
IP: Protocol = 17 (UDP)
IP: Header checksum = E326 (correct)
IP: Source address = [aaa.bbb.ccc.ddd]
IP: Destination address = [aaa.bbb.ccc.ddd]
IP: No options
IP:
UDP: ----- UDP Header -----
UDP:
UDP: Source port = 123 (NTP)
UDP: Destination port = 123 (NTP)
UDP: Length = 56
UDP: Checksum = D53B (correct)
UDP: [48 byte(s) of data]
UDP:
NTP: ----- NTP/SNTP header -----
NTP:
NTP: LI, VN, Mode: = D9
NTP: 11.. .... = Leap Indicator 3(alarm condition (clock not sync
NTP: ..01 1... = Version Number 3
NTP: .... .001 = Mode 1(symmetric active)
NTP: Stratum = 0 (unspecified)
NTP: Poll = 10 (1024 seconds)
NTP: Precision = -6 (2**-6 seconds)
NTP: Root Delay = 0. seconds
NTP: Root Dispersion = 1.010009765625 seconds
NTP: Reference Clock ID = (Unknown)
NTP: Reference Timestamp = 0 (undefined)
NTP: Originate Timestamp = 0 (undefined)
NTP: Receive Timestamp = 0 (undefined)
NTP: Transmit Timestamp = Mon Dec 09 14:51:06 2002
NTP: Fraction = 0.09799040004833234814300537109375
NTP:
NTP: [Normal end of "NTP/SNTP header".]
NTP:.

Formerly known as TID# 10077573