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time.force9.net

David_W
Rising Star
Posts: 2,305
Thanks: 33
Registered: ‎19-07-2007

time.force9.net

I'm not sure how many people use this fantastic service to synch their PC clock with the F9/PN time servers, but I've been using them for a long time.  Recently though I've had major issues with it not updating and throwing up an error.  I've ignored it until today when I figured I would try to find out what is going wrong.
After a few hours of google searching, turning on logging in kapersky, I was still none the wiser.  Kaspersky was allowing the out going connection to time.force9.net on port 123, but the time was still not updating.  Then I remembered another of the services I use, Broadband Firewall.
It turned out that the BB Firewall was blocking traffic on port 123 because I have it set on High (I like it on high).  I've now turned it down to Low, something that I'm not quite pleased with.
I'm hoping it isn't too much to ask, but would it be possible to add a filter to the BB Firewall's "High" setting to allow connections from time.force9.net/time.plus.net on port 123?  It could still drop traffic from outside the PN network on port 123, but allow out computers to have the added security of High setting, but still have an accurate clock.
9 REPLIES 9
Peter_Vaughan
Grafter
Posts: 14,469
Registered: ‎30-07-2007

Re: time.force9.net

This is a known issue and already asked a while ago. Work was beleived to have been done to resolve it but recent testing has failed.
See PUGIT item 281: Broadband firewall causing promblem with time sync
See if you get a time sync using ntp.plus.net with firewall set to high.
David_W
Rising Star
Posts: 2,305
Thanks: 33
Registered: ‎19-07-2007

Re: time.force9.net

Didn't work no, Kaspersky log stats "Outbound UDB packet from 192... to remote address 212.159.13.50 allowed" but no inbound UDP connection is made.  With firewall at low, the Kaspersky log shows it trying to connect to several IP addresses, but with it on High only 1 is attempted, Windows fails to update with a "The peer is unreachable" message.
Peter_Vaughan
Grafter
Posts: 14,469
Registered: ‎30-07-2007

Re: time.force9.net

OK, definitely not fixed then.  Sad
James
Grafter
Posts: 21,036
Thanks: 5
Registered: ‎04-04-2007

Re: time.force9.net

Hi there,
Unfortunately the firewall will block NTP traffic by design.  It's merely an adaption of the old Metronet firewall that was built about 3 years ago.
I strongly suspect that we'll be looking at other similar services over the course of the year which may be able to offer you an alternate solution.
Peter_Vaughan
Grafter
Posts: 14,469
Registered: ‎30-07-2007

Re: time.force9.net

Have you read the PUGIT item? It was supposed to have been fixed but wasn't.
James
Grafter
Posts: 21,036
Thanks: 5
Registered: ‎04-04-2007

Re: time.force9.net

In which case, my apologies.
I shall see if I can find someone in Networks who might know how to amend any rules.
James
Grafter
Posts: 21,036
Thanks: 5
Registered: ‎04-04-2007

Re: time.force9.net

Hi guys,
Good news Smiley
It's a minor configuration change which we'll raise a request to Networks to be done later on today.
Once the change request has raised it'll just be a matter of time before the issue is fixed.
David_W
Rising Star
Posts: 2,305
Thanks: 33
Registered: ‎19-07-2007

Re: time.force9.net

That is quite fantastic news.  Having an accurate clock may not bring world peace, but it saves me changing the battery in my clock Smiley
Midnight_Caller
Rising Star
Posts: 4,167
Thanks: 15
Fixes: 1
Registered: ‎15-04-2007

Re: time.force9.net

Have you tried http://www.arachnoid.com/abouttime/  AboutTime it is Free and esy to use.   Wink