[cisco-voip] 3rd-gen and newer IP phones 5-10 seconds slow

[Bill Simon]

The first information in the console logs after Friday's reboot of the 
phone:

ERR 15:17:17.490496 NTP: Fri May  8 14:17:17 2009
ERR 16:00:00.000360 NTP: Fri May  8 15:00:00 2009

A little later, an hourly report of NTP errors:

ERR 17:00:00.004182 NTP: Fri May  8 16:00:00 2009
ERR 18:00:00.000777 NTP: Fri May  8 17:00:00 2009
ERR 19:00:00.000792 NTP: Fri May  8 18:00:00 2009
ERR 20:00:00.000735 NTP: Fri May  8 19:00:00 2009

Eventually, this warning:

ERR 03:00:00.000796 NTP: Sat May  9 02:00:00 2009
WRN 03:24:39.582697 NTP: Now using non-NTP clock reference.
ERR 04:00:00.000524 NTP: Sat May  9 03:00:00 2009
ERR 05:00:00.000750 NTP: Sat May  9 04:00:00 2009

It looks like the phone is rejecting the time it's getting from NTP 
(source not shown in the logs) because it thinks there's an hour 
difference.  That makes no sense, because NTP is UTC and the local time 
is computed from the time zone setting.

Jason Burns wrote:
> If you're really industrious you can download the phone console logs 
> from the phone web page and search through the logs for any mention of 
> ntp, drift, or sync.
> 
> I would hope the phones print something in there when they sync to an 
> ntp source.
> 
> On Sat, May 9, 2009 at 12:01 AM, Bill Simon <bills at psu.edu 
> <mailto:bills at psu.edu>> wrote:
> 
>     Wait.  Hold up.  NTP servers are in our default options on the DHCP
>     server.
> 
>     Would it take NTP servers from the DHCP options?
> 
>     I have never read that the phones do that.
> 
>     I can try experimenting with the phones' scope in DHCP on Monday if
>     this might be it.  Either removing the NTP options or pointing to
>     CUCM...
> 
> 
>     Bill Simon wrote:
> 
>         I'm not aware of any method to direct a SCCP-firmware phone to
>         an NTP source.  I have seen the option in the XML config file
>         for a SIP load.
> 
>         So, no, not trying to circumvent CM as the time source.  I'll
>         check out the bug you noted.
> 
>         Thanks
>         Bill
> 
>         Wes Sisk wrote:
> 
>             We have had at least one report of this before.  That issue
>             appears associated to CSCsd54013.  I don't necessarily agree
>             with that.
>             My recollection (questionable?) of this issue is that when
>             3rd gen phone are provided NTP server they ignore time from
>             CM.  If the phones cannot sync from NTP source for any
>             reason then they drift.
> 
>             Are you attempting to provide NTP source to the phones via
>             any means?
> 
>             /Wes
> 
>             On Friday, May 08, 2009 5:10:44 PM, Bill Simon
>             <bills at psu.edu <mailto:bills at psu.edu>> wrote:
> 
>                 Running CM 4.1.3 with NTP configured on all servers to
>                 sync to two reliable NTP sources and peer with each
>                 other for verification.
> 
>                 I run ntpq and check each server and all are synced up.
> 
>                 My 7940s and 7960s are right on time.  But newer phones,
>                 7961, 7965 and 7906 are anywhere from 5 to 10 seconds slow.
> 
>                 I am aware that older phones used SCCP messages to sync
>                 time, and newer phones appear to use a different method.
>                  SIP firmware loads use NTP; what do SCCP firmwares use?
> 
>                 Even after a **#** reset, the phone's time is lagged.
> 
>                 Is this a defect of the Java-based firmware, or do I
>                 have another issue within the system causing the lag in
>                 the time displayed on the newer phones?