I have never been able to get the clock to synchronize. The time is always off and if I hit the Synchronize Now button, I get an error window. What am I doing wrong?

 

carealtor-

 

My best guess is that you are having DNS failure/timeout issues. You could try adding 8.8.8.8 in the DNS field or update the DNS servers in your router to begin with 8.8.8.8

 

For a test, replace the time server (time.nist.gov) with 207.200.81.113 (the current ip address of time.nist.gov) and see if it will sync. If it does, then this indicates a DNS problem.

 

-Xathros

That seems to have worked. Thanks. The red exclaimation mark is gone.

 

I wish I understood this DNS stuff better. I don't understand what "8.8.8.8" has to do with anything and I don't understand why what I had did not work when it seems to work for others.

don't understand why what I had did not work when it seems to work for others.

 

You are not the only one that has occasional trouble with clocks. I, for one, have had troubles before. I simply tried another time source without trying to figure out why. Sometimes, you get lucky.

 

I also have a VAGUE recollection that success can sometimes be based on the frequency that you sync time. I believe the ISY has a setting for frequency of updates. Assuming I remember correctly, what is your set to? More than once a day?

24hrs, which I believe is the default setting. I don't recall ever changing it.

 

In the past I had tried every time server that I could find, and none of them ever worked. Like I said, I wish I understood this stuff better.

 

Thanks again.

What ISP is being used?

I think the more important question is what do you have for a router and how is it configured? Before adding the 8.8.8.8, your router was likely supplying it's LAN address as the DNS server via DHCP and then doing the lookup itself. Many cheap routers don't do a very good job of DNS.

 

The 8.8.8.8 is Google's public DNS server and has proven to be quite reliable unlike the DNS servers at either of my local ISP's that are slow to update, slow to respond and are sometimes unavailable. If your router is using your ISP's DNS only, you might consider adding the 8.8.8.8 to the list for it to fall back on or put it up front as the primary.

 

I always specify the DNS in the ISY so it doesn't need to rely on my router for that. Almost every time I have seen the red ! my error log showed a DNS lookup error (Timeout I suspect) and since I have set the DNS at the ISY I have had very few failures.

 

-Xathros

What ISP is being used?

 

The local telephone provider - SureWest (Roseville, CA)

I think the more important question is what do you have for a router and how is it configured?

 

Linksys E4200

 

Pretty much straight out of the box. I did add one entry in the Single Port Forwarding table for Mobilinc.