NIST Time

Help for v2
1

I’ve used a small program from the National Institute of Standards and Technology for many years, which runs during startup and synchronizes my computer clock with the atomic clock in Boulder, Colorado. Even though I’ve told the Comodo firewall to create a rule and allow the connection, it does not do so. I always receive an error message that the time program cannot connect with the time server.

NIST Time works just fine when I use ZoneAlarm, Sunbelt Kerio, and Ashampoo firewalls, so I’m sure the problem is related to Comodo’s firewall.

Can anybody offer any suggestions?

2

I started having trouble with my windows clock a little while ago and this was before I ever installed Comodo firewall. I was having trouble with time.windows.com and time.nist.gov

I finally just changed the internet time server and this corrected the problem. Knock on wood it will still correct the problem. So maybe you should just try another server? Hope this helps.

3

There are eight servers available for use in the NIST Time program, and I tried each of them before posting here. The results were always the same: unsuccessful. In each case, when I disabled the Comodo firewall, the time checker worked as it always had. Obviously, the problem is within Comodo, and not any other program.

Incidentally, I configured Comodo to allow NIST Time to use any port and any IP Address.

4

I don`t really know what to say. I was having trouble too. I made sure I had a restore point. I uninstalled Commodo and then reinstalled it and the windows clock started working okay.

I never was able to figure out how to configure Comodo to allow nist and so I just unstalled Commodo. Out of curiosity I reinstalled it and then for some strange reason I was able to update my windows clock with Nist.

5

My guess would be an incorrect rule in application monitor.

Would you like to post your log results duriing these NIST tests?

6

I have used 2 ways to adjust the time.

  1. In the Windows Date+Time setting (right-click taskbar clock - adjust) I use uk.pool.ntp.org
    (Rule = Allow - UDP-out - My PC - Name=uk.pool.ntp.org - source port = 123, dest port =123)

  2. In an old application I used the following: time-a.timefreq.bldrdoc.gov
    (Rule = Allow TCP-out - My PC - Name=time-a.timefreq.bldrdoc.gov - source port = 1024-4999 destination port 13.

The first uses a remote linked-cluster of 12 servers based in the UK (so good choice from different geo and net locations)

The second uses the “grandfather” of clocks in the USA (3 actually - time-a…time-b… and time-c…) so lifting the chance of a server available + ready in a different country.

Note the different ports + protocols used. If you enter the names in the rules, any changes to IP address will be absorbed. No need to change rules due to one or two servers being off-line or too busy.

Good luck. (:WIN)