NTP server in Iran
MikroTik routers, servers and anything else that needs accurate time can sync against this server directly. It stands inside Iran, so equipment there needs no connection to a foreign time source. Its clock reads 11:46 Tehran time right now.
ntp.ipview.watchServer name, UDP port 123Setup guide
Pick your system# RouterOS 7 /system ntp client set enabled=yes /system ntp client servers add address=ntp.ipview.watch /system clock set time-zone-name=Asia/Tehran # RouterOS 6 /system ntp client set enabled=yes primary-ntp=[:resolve "ntp.ipview.watch"]
Why a time server inside Iran?
NTP is the protocol that keeps a device's clock in step with an accurate reference, and the shorter and steadier the path to that reference, the better the clock. The usual servers, pool.ntp.org and time.google.com among them, answer from inside Iran with delay and sometimes not at all; a MikroTik that depends on them falls back to 1970 after every power cut and stays there until an answer arrives. This server stands inside the country and answers over the domestic path.
What needs a correct clock?
TLS certificates are validated against the time, so with a wrong clock HTTPS and VPN connections fail with "certificate expired". Logs from different devices cannot be compared, RouterOS schedulers fire at the wrong hour and time-based two-factor codes (TOTP) are rejected.
Setting it up on MikroTik
The MikroTik tab holds two lines of RouterOS 7: enabling the NTP client and adding this server. On RouterOS 6 use /system ntp client set primary-ntp with the IP address instead of /system ntp client servers add, as version 6 does not take a host name. Set the time zone to Asia/Tehran so the local clock is right as well.
Linux and Windows
On Linux, depending on the distribution, chrony or systemd-timesyncd keeps the clock; the Linux tab covers both. Windows uses the Windows Time service, configured with w32tm from a command prompt run as administrator.
How do I know the clock is in sync?
The Check tab has a command for each system that reports the sync state and the offset; an offset of a few milliseconds is normal. If there is no answer at all, make sure UDP port 123 is open in the firewall.