[time-nuts] Advice on NTP server needed

[Attila Kinali]

On Tue, 14 Jun 2011 18:12:52 +0200
Per Molund <pmolund at gmail.com> wrote:

> The reason for this is mostly based on the installation environment. I am
> 'piggy-backing' on an commerical site (ie. for free) and rack-space and
> electricity are premium. I have also a need to have the installation look
> professional in order to avoid to much 'bad' attention. The installation
> already occupies a 3U receiver, 1U server plus a 1U GPRS modem, so using
> an old PC for NTP server is out of the question. Also the additional
> 2600 kWh per year electricity (150W x2 for PC plus cooling) would strain
> my goodwill at the site.
> 
> As for Internet, yes we do have an connection, but via GPRS so it is not
> any good for ntp use. As for performance I am seeing 200-400 ms today with
> GPRS which is not good enough for my application, I hope to get down into
> low or sub ms range.

Have you had a look at GPS PCI/PCI-e cards? Like those Meinberg sells.
They are not exactly cheap, but considering your constraints, it
might be a good solution. It will just go into one of the to servers
you already have, consume very little power (only as much as the
gps system would need anyways), and it has a "professional" look.

If those are too expensive, you can try to get one of the many
Mini PCI-e GPS cards available on ebay (go as cheap as 10USD)
and a adaptor card (approx 20-30 USD). I don't know whether
those are time-nuts grade, but i'm quite sure you should get
into the sub-ms range with those.


			Attila Kinali


-- 
Why does it take years to find the answers to
the questions one should have asked long ago?