# [Solved] NTP says I'm at stratum 2?

## piwacet

Hi.  I followed the wiki:

http://en.gentoo-wiki.com/wiki/NTP

and installed NTP with the goal of simply keeping my computer time accurate.  I think I've set it up O.K., but it reports that I'm a stratum=2 computer?  I thought I was syncing with stratum=2 computers which would make me a stratum=3 computer?

Here's the uncommented lines (well one commented line left) of /etc/ntp.conf:

```
#(Publicly accessible stratum 2 servers)

server ntp.ucsd.edu

server sundial.columbia.edu

server chronos3.umt.edu

server chronos2.umt.edu

server clock1.unc.edu

server fuzz.psc.edu

server ntppub.tamu.edu

server timelord.uregina.ca

server ntp.cpsc.ucalgary.ca

server ac-ntp1.net.cmu.edu

server ac-ntp2.net.cmu.edu

server ac-ntp0.net.cmu.edu

driftfile   /var/lib/ntp/ntp.drift

restrict default nomodify nopeer notrap noquery

restrict 127.0.0.1
```

I added the "notrap noquery" to the end of the 'restrict' line, but I get the same results without them (which would be the wiki default.)

Here's ntpq -c readvar:

```
assID=0 status=0644 leap_none, sync_ntp, 4 events, event_peer/strat_chg,

version="ntpd 4.2.4p7@1.1607-o Tue Jan 19 23:33:47 UTC 2010 (1)",

processor="x86_64", system="Linux/2.6.31.12", leap=00, stratum=2,

precision=-20, rootdelay=22.071, rootdispersion=63.551, peer=57618,

refid=132.239.1.6,

reftime=cf00e4c9.003af9a5  Tue, Jan 19 2010 18:11:21.000, poll=6,

clock=cf00e5b7.a17502d7  Tue, Jan 19 2010 18:15:19.630, state=4,

offset=33.946, frequency=9.083, jitter=16.364, noise=25.586,

stability=2.896, tai=0
```

Any guesses what this means? Maybe my computer is just special?   :Razz: 

Thanks!Last edited by piwacet on Wed Jan 20, 2010 3:16 am; edited 1 time in total

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## tony-curtis

What does

```
ntpq -p
```

say (3rd field "st")?  Are you perhaps currently synced with something that's actually stratum 1?  Also try ntptrace to find out.

Here's what I get:

```
$ ntpq -p

     remote           refid      st t when poll reach   delay   offset  jitter

==============================================================================

 mainframe.cynac 198.60.22.240    2 u   22   64   37   16.840    5.500   1.291

*tick.phyber.com .PPS.            1 u   22   64   37   47.322    8.877   4.654

 www2.bitvector. 69.25.96.13      2 u   21   64   37   86.804   -1.258   2.879
```

so I'm currently preferring the 2nd server, which is listed as stratum 1:

So that means I am

```
$ ntpq -c readvar

...

processor="x86_64", system="Linux/2.6.32-gentoo-r2", leap=00, stratum=2,
```

I sync with some pool servers:

```
server 0.pool.ntp.org

server 1.pool.ntp.org

server 2.pool.ntp.org
```

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## piwacet

Yes that's exactly it.  It turns out one of my servers is actually stratum 1.  When I comment out that server, I become a stratum 3 server.

Thanks!

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