Jeff Geerling 8/30/2026

Before NTP there were Time and Daytime

Read Original

This article discusses the Daytime and Time protocols (RFC 867 and RFC 868) that preceded NTP for network time synchronization. It provides a personal historical account of using network time on early Macs, then details the Time Protocol's simple mechanism (port 37, 32-bit seconds since 1900) and its limitations (1-second resolution, no delay compensation, Y2K36 rollover). It also covers the Daytime protocol's human-readable but ambiguous format. Aimed at tech enthusiasts and historians, it offers insights into early internet-era timekeeping practices.

Before NTP there were Time and Daytime

Comments

No comments yet

Be the first to share your thoughts!

Browser Extension

Get instant access to AllDevBlogs from your browser

Top of the Week

No top articles yet