Help with Time Sync for my cameras

nowandthen

nowandthen

Getting comfortable
Oct 11, 2014
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I'm doing direct to disc recording. To the camera time stamps into the recordings (in another thread) I was told to do this (I rewrote this a bit from fendermans instructions, but only for a bit more clarity): Starting new thread as the other is kind of all over the place):
To sync the times on all cameras do this (if you don’t camera times will drift):

  1. Login to a camera (repeat this procedure for all cameras)
  2. navigate to "Basic or Advanced Configuration" (left side)
  3. click System (left side)
  4. click on Time Settings tab.
  5. set "Time Sync." to the IP address of your Blue Iris server:
    1. Set "NTP Port" to 123
    2. “Interval" as desired. (1440 minutes is 24 hours which is good enough).
Then install this "NetTime" timer server utility on your Blue Iris Server... Not doing this…
http://www.timesynctool.com/
Instead I am using time.windows.com. Tests ok but 1 camera has drifted a few seconds, so must not really be working.

I downloaded NetTime (TimeSynctool.com) and installed it on my BI computer.

I log into my camera and do as above, but put "time.windows.com" in the server address, then click test, it claims it works, but one camera has already drifted a couple of seconds over the last few days. I'm sure this is wrong.

If I put my Blue Iris computer's IP address in the server address, then test it, it fails. NTP port is 123, Interval is 1440, not that the interval matters. Server address is 192.168... it doesn't like ":81", says illegal format or something like that. When I enter 192.168.X.X (BI computer IP address), it accepts it, but the test fails.

What am I missing? I can be a bit dense. Once I (with your help) get it, I make a "how-to" for future reference.

Thanks.
 
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I'd guess that the windows firewall on the BI machine is blocking the time server. I don't see the point of running a time server on a local machine if you have an internet connection - cameras will drift regardless of the time sort (if they are going to drift at all). I use pool.ntp.org


 
bike_rider said:
I'd guess that the windows firewall on the BI machine is blocking the time server. I don't see the point of running a time server on a local machine if you have an internet connection - cameras will drift regardless of the time sort (if they are going to drift at all). I use pool.ntp.org
Click to expand...

i run a local time server on the blue iris server for the hikvision cameras to sync with , as I block all outbound traffic from my cameras at a router level. They can only talk on the local network. Don't trust the Chinese and what the cameras might be sneakily trying to talk to over the web.
 
avi6581 said:
i run a local time server on the blue iris server for the hikvision cameras to sync with , as I block all outbound traffic from my cameras at a router level. They can only talk on the local network. Don't trust the Chinese and what the cameras might be sneakily trying to talk to over the web.
Click to expand...

I'm not quite this paranoid but maybe because I don't know enough. :)

If I stayed local, via the time server on the BI machine, then I am still left with "why isn't my machine updating the times?" and the test "(edit) not BI, but Hikvision camera" runs says it fails.

I'm going to open port 123 in my firewall per fenderman's feedback. But would still like to know why the intranet solution is not working.
 
Last edited by a moderator:
when you install TimeSync the default windows firewall will block it, you must manually configure the LOCAL WINDOWS SOFTWARE firewall to allow the NTP Server run on your LAN.
 
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nayr said:
when you install TimeSync the default windows firewall will block it, you must manually configure the LOCAL WINDOWS SOFTWARE firewall to allow the NTP Server run on your LAN.
Click to expand...

Thank you, I will give that a try. I set my router to allow port trigger for 123 UDP, then tested it from the Hikvision camera time setting window, it now reports that it is working.
 
nayr said:
when you install TimeSync the default windows firewall will block it, you must manually configure the LOCAL WINDOWS SOFTWARE firewall to allow the NTP Server run on your LAN.
Click to expand...

Deleted double post.
 
use a local time server for your cameras. If use use an internet timer service you can not completely block your cameras for the internet.

Not 100% blocking your cameras from the internet is just plan stupid.
 
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My synology router has its own time server so i point devices on my lan to my router.
 
Another good set of NTP servers brought to you by the US Navy - tick.usno.navy.mil and tock.usno.navy.mil - their IPs are 192.5.41.40 and 192.5.41.41 respectively.
 
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