Configure an NTP Sync Check

Get notified when the system clock drifts out of sync

Written By Erdinc Akay

Last updated 26 days ago

Configure an NTP Sync Check

Add Check dialog: NTP Sync with pool.ntp.org, warning 1000 ms, critical 5000 ms, timeout 5000 ms.

An NTP Sync Check compares the device's system clock against an NTP server and warns if the offset exceeds a threshold. Clock drift can cause authentication failures, log correlation issues, and certificate validation errors.

Prerequisites

  • You need the Monitoring Check Management permission.
  • The target device must have a connected agent with network access to an NTP server.

Steps

  1. Go to Devices and open the device.
  2. Click the Checks tab → Add Check → NTP Sync.
  3. Configure the check:
FieldDefaultDescription
NTP Serverpool.ntp.orgThe NTP server to compare against
Warning offset (ms)1000 msWarns if clock offset exceeds 1 second
Critical offset (ms)5000 msCritical if offset exceeds 5 seconds
Timeout (ms)5000 msHow long to wait for the NTP server to respond before the check fails
  1. Click Add Check.

Tips

  • Use your organization's internal NTP server if you have one. Otherwise, pool.ntp.org is a reliable default.
  • On domain-joined Windows machines, the domain controller is normally the NTP source. Use the DC address for the most accurate comparison.
  • A clock offset of a few milliseconds is normal. The default warning threshold of 1 second catches meaningful drift without alerting on minor jitter.

After the first check interval, the result appears in the device's Checks tab.

See also: NTP Sync Check Reference