Using the NTP Server
The Network Time Protocol enables you to keep the FortiGate time in sync with other network systems. By enabling NTP on the FortiGate unit, FortiOS will check with the NTP server you select at the configured intervals. This will also ensure that logs and other time-sensitive settings on the FortiGate unit are correct.
The FortiGate unit maintains its internal clock using a built-in battery. At startup, the time reported by the FortiGate unit will indicate the hardware clock time, which may not be accurate. When using NTP, the system time might change after the FortiGate has successfully obtained the time from a configured NTP server.
For the NTP server, you can identify a specific port/IP address for this self-originating traffic. The configuration is performed in the CLI with the command set source-ip. For example, to set the source IP of NTP to be on the DMZ1 port with an IP of 192.168.4.5, the commands are:
config system ntp
set ntpsyn enable
set syncinterval 5
set source-ip 192.168.4.5
end
See Also