Lack of authoritative IPv6 NTP Server in Hong Kong

[warrenkwok]

The number of IPv6 servers and hosts in Hong Kong are increasing. Yet there is not an authoritative IPv6 time server to be used by the Internet community in Hong Kong. Though there are IPv6 NTP servers in US or Europe, we can not rely on them to sync server clock due to the latency issue.

In terms of security, all access and event logs must be accompanied accurate time stamp in order to make them trustworthy. The lack of an authoritative IPv6-based standard time server in Hong Kong really affect security aspects of IPv6 servers.

The current Internet standard time service on IPv4 (stdtime.gov.hk) is provided by the Hong Kong Observatory (HKO). I have talked with people in the HKO and they say they might look into the issue in due course. I have no hope this can be resolved quickly as I fully understand that ISPs are reluctant to offer native IPv6 connectivity.

Warren Kwok

[warrenkwok]

Just when I thought it is not easy to get native IPv6 connection from ISPs in Hong Kong, I am aware that the Government Central Internet Gateway (CIG) on IPv6 has been fired up. The Hong Kong Observatory can use an IPv6 address owned by the HK Government to build the IPv6 NTP server. Using the IPv6-enabled Government networking backbone and the CIG, the NTP Server can connect to the whole world.

I will actively pursue this issue. I hope the provision of an authoritative IPv6 time server can be realized by the end of year 2010.

Warren Kwok

[AntonyMA]

NTP server is not part of ISP services! Am I right?

Should the gov (i.e. observatory) do it? Then it is not OFTA or OGCIO

Antony

[warrenkwok]

ISPs have no obligation to provide authoritative time service. The cost of high accuracy atomic clock is huge.

In Hong Kong, it is the Hong Kong Observatory to provide authoritative Internet NTP time service. The current IPv4 standard time server (stdtime.gov.hk) attracts more than 2 million sync request per hour.

Warren Kwok

[histery]

Hi,

is there an update about this topic?
As I do have problems connecting to stdtime.gov.hk from mainland china.
I am not aware of any other trustable stratum ntp server nearby with a decent latency...