HPE1920S JL385A can't sync to SNTP

[DerrickTye]

Hi,

Am running the above hardware and the firmware is PD.01.05, Linux 3.6.5, U-Boot 2012.10-00118

Am trying to configure SNTP settings:
SNTP Client: Enabled
NTP Server: IP v4 Primary Domain Controller emulator on Windows Server 2016 x.x.x.x format. the PDCe communicates with an external time server (the reference source) over UDP port 123.
Server Port: 123

Results:
Last Attempt Status: Other
Requests: 28
Failed Requests: 14

Am still unable to sync to the PDCe. How exactly should I be configuring this?

[parnassus]

Hi! first of all update (upgrade) your HPE OfficeConnect 1920S from PD.01.05 (February 2017) to latest PD.02.13 (April 2020).

For management and configuration instructions (NTP setup included, start at page 24) refer to HPE OfficeConnect 1920S Switch Series Management and Configuration Guide.

Be sure your internal NTP Server is (a) reacheable (as example ICMP Ping) and (b) responding to NTP requests from Clients such your Switch (UDP default port 123).

[DerrickTye]

Hi Parnassus,

Will try to upgrade the firmware to the latest. I have read the documentation. Actually set the IP address to our primary domain controller emulator (we per Windows documentation we should set one server as the PDCe that makes requests to an external NTP). Pinging the PDCe is not a problem. In fact, we have other devices obtaining its time via NTP through this same IP address.

UDP port 123 is the default port that we also use to obtain external time with the NTP.

[DerrickTye]

Hi Parnassus,

I read the release notes for Firmware upgrades and none of the fixes and enhancements was related to my issue. I haven't updated the firmware since most of the things are working fine. It seems only .12 firmware is the latest (released in December 2019) with .13 not yet being released but its release notes were released on the internet)

https://h10145.www1.hpe.com/downloads/DownloadSoftware.aspx?SoftwareReleaseUId=27223&ProductNumber=JL380A 

https://support.hpe.com/hpesc/public/docDisplay?docLocale=en_US&docId=a00098397en_us

It somehow fixed itself overnight after 452 failed requests to connect with my SNTP. No settings were changed. I guess it takes a while for it???

[parnassus · Accepted solution]

Hi! When synchronizing to an NTP Server is a good practice to set the local date/time as closer as possible to the present date/time to ease the work of first syncronization (what was the date/time set on your Switch BEFORE the first succesful synchronization?).

With regards to Software Update latest PD.02.13 software release not only it is available, see here, but it is a recommended software to use: a good practice is to have an updated switch, at least for security related reasons (someone think that "if it works then do not touch it"...but there are pro/cons in keeping things that way).

As example PD.01.08 (thus within the old PD.01 software line) corrected an SNTP Daylight Savings issue...so it's always a matter of read at least latest Release Notes for each software line (PD.01.08 and PD.02.13) to discover if a particular feature had issues and software corrections that fixed them (PD.02 doesn't report issues already fixed on PD.01).

[DerrickTye]

Hi!

The date and time was never set when the device was deployed and therefore form factory setting it was dated 1970 January 1!!! But I guess what you explained explains the issue. Now that it is working!

I get what you mean about the updates (pros and cons). So I have just updated with .13 firmware but haven't explored further. Will do so when I get the chance. I am looking forward for the SSL 2048 bit certification updated in .08 firmware. I actually couldn't find this update when I searched in the product number for HPE product documentation and software as well as in the release notes they pointed me towards a link that this new firmware was not released but its documentation was already out. I read through all the releases actually.