Time and date
For effective scheduling and logging, the FortiGate system date and time should be accurate. You can either manually set the system date and time or configure the FortiGate unit to automatically keep its time correct by synchronizing with a Network Time Protocol (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.
| By default, FortiOS has the daylight savings time configuration enabled. The system time must be manually adjusted after daylight saving time ends. To disable DST, enter the following command in the CLI: config system global set dst disable end |
To set the date and time
1. Go to System > Dashboard > Status and locate the System Information widget.
2. Beside System Time, select Change.
3. Select your Time Zone.
4. Either select Set Time and manually set the system date and time, or select Synchronize with NTP Server. If you select synchronization, you can either use the default FortiGuard servers or specify a different server. You can also set the Sync Interval.
5. Select OK.
If you use an 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