If you need time synchronization with improved accuracy, you can use PTP (Precision Time Protocol) instead of normal NTP (Network Time protocol). PTP is an IEEE standard for a precision clock synchronization protocol for networked measurement and control systems. PTP is designed to provide sub-microsecond accuracy, and can achieve nanosecond accuracy in properly designed networks.

PTP requires a proper infrastructure to implement, not merely a configuration on a single computer. Instructions on designing and setting up a proper PTP infrastructure is beyond the scope of this documentation. A brief introduction to PTP can be found here in the Fedora Linux System Administrator’s Guide.

Using PTP Under Linux

Under Linux, the most commonly used PTP implementation is LinuxPTP. linuxptp can be installed with by running the following command:

sudo apt install linuxptp

Note: The user executing this command will need special privileges to be able to use sudo(8). This is usually accomplished by adding the user to the sudo user group. This can only be done by the root user, or by another user that already has sudo access.

The Fedora Linux System Administrator’s Guide contains some instructions and guidance on configuring PTP under Linux in the chapter Configuring PTP Using ptp4l. Note, however, that Debian-based Linux systems use the apt(8) tool for installation rather than dnf(8), which is used by Fedora.

See also: The LinuxPTP Project; The linuxptp GitHub repository; ptp4l(8); phc2sys(8); pmc(8); timemaster(8)

Using PTP Under Windows

Windows supports PTP since Windows 10 Build 1809 (October 2018 Update). To activate PTP, a number of entries need to be added to the Windows Registry. A text file containing the required commands can be found on Microsoft’s GitHub page at https://github.com/microsoft/W32Time/blob/master/Precision%20Time%20Protocol/Windows%20Configuration%20Helpers/PTPClientConfig.txt. Open the file and replace the text “10.10.10.10 10.10.10.11” with a space-separated list of PTP grandmasters, as instructed.

After making the necessary changes, rename the file to PTPClientConfig.bat, and run it as an Administrator. To run the script as an Administrator, right-click on it, and select “Run as Administrator” from the context menu.

To activate the configuration, run a PowerShell or Command Prompt window as an Administrator, and execute the following commands:

w32tm /unregister

w32tm /register

Further resources on PTP under Windows can be found in the following places:

Table of Contents

Using PTP Under Linux

Using PTP Under Windows