TIME_NTP_SERVER maybe not correct...

hald9000

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Various forum posts indicated changing TIME_NTP_SERVER to move away of pool.ntp.org for more secure time service. I want to use time.google.com and time.windows.com. I could go directly to NIST, however, I would guess Google and Microsoft have substantial infrastructure for Time Service.

I was expecting TIME_NTP_SERVER1 and TIME_NTP_SERVER2 but that is not the case thus what ever string you enter for TIME_NTP_SERVER is replicated for NTP 1 and 2 on Yealink Phones. I tried to use some other suggested config like "time.google.com, time.windows.com" expecting the first entry for NTP1 and second entry for NTP2. However, this is not the case.

Looking at the Template for current Yealink T4x Template we find:

local_time.ntp_server1 = %%param::time_ntp_server%%
local_time.ntp_server2 = %%param::time_ntp_server%%

I am not aware of a way to use regex or other syntax in the Template to resolve this. In prior versions we had TIME_NTP_SERVER1 and TIME_NTP_SERVER2 if I recall correctly.

This would be preferred so that you can truly have proper NTP Failover.

Any suggestions? Comments on having "time.google.com, time.windows.com" as the NTP Server String?
 
Hello hald9000,

If you goto the 3CX Admin - Advanced - Parameters >> search for "NTP"
You will find that 3CX will only have 1 NTP server option

So the simpel answer is NO,can not be done.

If you think it should be done anyway, then step up to the next level.
Goto the 3CX Admin - Advanced - Parameters >> ADD
TIME_NTP_SERVER1 = time.google.com
TIME_NTP_SERVER2 = time.windows.com

Then make a copy of the existing Phone Template and create a new Phone template.
Change these settings:
local_time.ntp_server1 = %%param::time_ntp_server1%%
local_time.ntp_server2 = %%param::time_ntp_server2%%

Remove phone from extension and re-add back again, using the new template.
Reprovision the phone, and it is done

Paulo
 
And you will be with a red flag on 3CX dashboard and unsupported phones as they are using custom templates.
 
  • Haha
Reactions: paulodagraca
Thank you @paulodagraca, I am aware of custom templates and used the capability extensively in the early days. I had all kinds of fun with custom templates. For V20 I've been trying to do is keep the templates standard and NOT edit them.

@Aws2p is also correct about the red flag on the 3CX Dashboard indicating that the extension is "unsupported". This flag makes it much harder to get 3CX support directly. I kinda get that but NOT.

I do want to point out if you follow the suggestion of another post, aka "time.google.com, time.windows.com", this does NOT work as far as I can tell. Thus I've simply settled on "time.google.com" which has multiple IPs for failover as part of the FQDN. When testing pool.ntp.org we found strange things like one NTP was associated with with TOR outlet which is NOT so "corporate".

If I have Windows or TrueNAS Server thus I might program that up to use multiple Time Servers then point the Telephones to that Server inside the business. In this way then I can have a nice mix of USA Naval Observatory, Google and Microsoft Time Servers.

The only reason I'm not doing this is if you have multiple locations you can't vary the time server by department. For example if you want the main office to use ad1.local for a Windows Server then another department which does not have access to AD1 use time.google.com.

On Windows I have preferred to use NTP Time Server software from Meinberg which is very good. The GUI style is a little dated to a Windows 7 style theme otherwise it works GREAT!

TO 3CX Support: Please add back TIME_NTP_SERVER1 and TIME_NTP_SERVER2 as standard part of the template as shown above from @paulodagraca. Also, it would be helpful to have Time Servers associated by department given my example above.
 

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