SNTP on a HP ProCurve switch

Configuring NTP for switches is a rather simple process, however the syntax varies depending on the switch OS.

Most switches use SNTP rather than NTP, SNTP is basically NTP but lacks some of the more advanced internal algorithms and is slightly less accurate.

To configure a ProCurve you need to use SNTP with the following syntax.

sntp server <ip>
sntp unicast
timesync sntp

The first line defines what IP to sync with, the second tells the switch to use unicast UDP rather than TCP and the third tells the switch to sync it’s time with the SNTP server.

This needs to be done in configure mode which can be got into via enable mode.

enable
configure

Once the switch is syncing with the SNTP server you can check the time is correct with

show time

Lastly just save the changes then logout

write mem
logout

A full example of this is below:

Switch> en
Switch# conf
Switch(config)# sntp server 79.142.192.4
Switch(config)# sntp unicast
Switch(config)# timesync sntp
Switch(config)# exit
Switch# write mem
Switch# logout

Your switches should now keep their time in sync :)