# [Solved] NTP packets every 10 seconds or so...

## lyallp

I was fiddling with WireShark and I noticed that I have NTP packets around every 10 seconds on a system that has been up for over 4 hours.

Whilst I understand this is the Network Time Protocol, I would have thought that these interactions would have been rather rapid on startup and then, once the clock is set, non existent.

How many NTP packets should I expect? Is this normal?

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## d2_racing

Hi, I have no idea.

Can you post your ntp setting plz ?

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## lyallp

```
# $OpenBSD: ntpd.conf,v 1.7 2004/07/20 17:38:35 henning Exp $

# sample ntpd configuration file, see ntpd.conf(5)

# Addresses to listen on (ntpd does not listen by default)

#listen on *

#listen on 127.0.0.1

#listen on ::1

# sync to a single server

#server ntp.example.org

# use a random selection of 8 public stratum 2 servers

# see http://twiki.ntp.org/bin/view/Servers/NTPPoolServers

servers pool.ntp.org

```

After having a quick look in http://twiki.ntp.org/bin/view/Servers/NTPPoolServers, I may try setting my pool to a geographically closer one, ie, oceania.pool.ntp.org, but still, the above is my config.

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## doctork

You can check how ntpd is running with:

```
 ntpq -cpeers
```

For example, on one of my systems:

```

me@fino ~/etc $ ntpq -cpeers

     remote           refid      st t when poll reach   delay   offset  jitter

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

*darkcity.cerias .GPS.            1 u  290 1024  377   49.272    0.940   0.279

+repos.lax-noc.c 209.81.9.7       2 u  300 1024  377   83.850   10.142   0.175

+socorro.dayww.n 132.163.4.101    2 u  284 1024  377   50.656  -16.771   1.137

-dwarf.dr-korpi. 63.240.161.99    3 u  763 1024  377    0.106   12.920   0.802

```

Tells me that the various servers are being polled every 1024 seconds.

--

doc

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## lyallp

Cool, any chance you can tell me which package ntpq is in?

I am using net-misc/openntpd version 3.9_p1-r1

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## doctork

It's in net-misc/ntp.  I'm using that rather than openntpd -- I don't know if similar is available with openntpd.

--

doc

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## gentoo_ram

OpenNTP?  Ewww... gosh only knows what it's doing.  net-misc/ntp is the one you want.

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## lyallp

I have unmerged openntpd and emerged net-misc/ntp

Now, I have ntpq.

My NTP traffic seems to be reduced now.

```
# ntpq -cpeers

     remote           refid      st t when poll reach   delay   offset  jitter

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

 yarrina.connect 128.250.33.242   2 u    4 1024    1   53.211    4.046   0.001

 bitburger.rumbl 192.231.203.132  3 u    4 1024    1  177.449   53.044   0.001

 pond.thecave.ws 128.250.37.2     2 u    3 1024    1   48.430   -7.458   0.001

 gw.voipwa.net.a 155.101.3.114    3 u    2 1024    1   57.203    8.343   0.001

```

I tweaked my config (surrounded by *, but not including *) as ...

```

# Pools for Gentoo users

server 0.gentoo.pool.ntp.org *minpoll 10 maxpoll 11*

server 1.gentoo.pool.ntp.org *minpoll 10 maxpoll 11*

server 2.gentoo.pool.ntp.org *minpoll 10 maxpoll 11*

server 3.gentoo.pool.ntp.org *minpoll 10 maxpoll 11*

# you should not need to modify the following paths

driftfile   /var/lib/ntp/ntp.drift

# To deny other machines from changing the

# configuration but allow localhost:

restrict default nomodify nopeer

restrict 127.0.0.1

```

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