How do I troubleshoot my ActiveProtect appliance's time sync issues with an NTP server?

How do I troubleshoot my ActiveProtect appliance's time sync issues with an NTP server?

Symptoms

You enabled the Synchronize with NTP server option at Appliance Console > Control Panel > Regional Options > Time, but the sync status is abnormal.

Resolution

Try clicking Update Now. Also, make sure to click Update Now every time you switch to a different NTP server.

If the problem persists, follow these steps in order:

  1. Ensure your ActiveProtect appliance and NTP server have stable network connections. Also, check if your router and firewall settings are correctly configured.
  2. Select another NTP server from the drop-down menu and click Update Now. If you can sync with a different NTP server, the connection to the original NTP server may be unstable.
  3. Enter the IP address of an NTP server into the Server address field and click Update Now. If you can sync with the NTP server via IP instead of FQDN, make sure that you have correctly configured the DNS server for your ActiveProtect appliance.
  4. The NTP server only functions normally when you click Update Now, and an error message still appears later on. Make sure port 123 in your firewall settings is not blocked and that the same port is correctly forwarded from the external IP of your ActiveProtect appliance to its internal IP.
    • If the NTP server request timed out, port 123 may be blocked.
    • Contact Synology Technical Support when the connection to an NTP server has been refused. This requires signing in to your Synology Account.
Symptoms
Resolution
Further reading