Spectracom products offering NTP / SNTP
W32Time uses Network Time Protocol (NTP) or Simple Network Time Protocol (SNTP) to synchronize a Windows 2000/2003 network. Older versions of Windows offer time synchronization via RS-232 serial communications. W32Time does not accept serial communications data from a master clock or time server. The only available input to W32Time is NTP or SNTP. Spectracom offers two types of products to offer NTP or SNTP time over standard network cable: NetClock master clocks (sometimes also known as NTP time servers) and ethernet time servers.
NetClock Master Clocks / NTP Time Servers
The models 8189, 91XX, and 92XX and TTS series are Master Clocks / NTP Time Servers that synchronize to the GPS satellite system. Some versions of these time servers offer a dial-up modem for synchronization to the ACTS system as a back-up to the GPS system.
These NTP Time Server / Master Clocks provide either an ethernet connection on the rear panel that connects to an available 10BaseT hub or switch (Model 8189) or an ethernet connection on the front panel that connects to an available 10/100BaseT hub or switch (Models 91XX, 92XX and TTS series) using standard network cable.
Ethernet Time Servers
An ethernet time server is used in conjunction with a precision time source, such as a master clock, to distribute time throughout a network. An ethernet time server is used to synchronize a network if a master clock is available but does not support NTP / SNTP; as is the case with the models 8182 and 8183 NetClock Master Clock. An ethernet time server is also used to synchronize two or more separate/isolated networks without the need for multiple GPS antenna connections.
The most common method for an ethernet time server to receive time from a precision time source is through RS-485. The models 8188 and 9188 ethernet time servers connect to the remote RS-485 port of any NetClock master clock / time server and offer a 10BaseT (8188) or 10/100BaseT (9188, 9288) connection to a hub or switch on the network using standard network cable.