NTP does not work

[KeesBleijenberg]

In the web interface of the gateway (version v3.4.0b8) I set the NTP server to time.google.com and click on save. The UTC-time does not change and stays jan 11 1970 ( zero?) even after a day or so, Another ntp-server like ntp.time.nl makes no difference. What am I doing wrong?

The system has a Bosch Fr100 thermostat. This thermostat has also a time This time is correct, but I can't see it in the web interface.
How does the NTP time works with the thermostat time.
Is the thermostat time ignored?

[MichaelDvP]

Some thoughts:
Check your network router, is ems-esp allowed to contact the external server?
Often the router also acts as ntp-server for internal devices, try this.
The NTP status in emsesp shows only if the service is started, not if gets a answer,that is maybe confusing.
If you disable NTP, you can set the clock of emsesp manually.
The thermostat clock should show in dashboard thermostat, it is read in all thermostats. But it is not very exact and after powercut it is not set and need manual setting (or viea emsesp-ntp). We have a option to set the thermostat clock from NTP, but there is no option to sync the emsesp to the thermostat, NTP is the better option to sync and there is no need to have two sync sources.

[MichaelDvP]

Maybe a good dea to combine this with #386.
When receiving the thermostat time check

• ems-esp has valid time (ntp or manual) and thermostat differs (+-15 sec) and is writeable -> set thermostat clock to emsesp-clock
• ems-esp has no valid time, thermostat clock is set ->set ems-esp clock to thermostat cloc

[KeesBleijenberg]

Some thoughts:
Check your network router, is ems-esp allowed to contact the external server?
Often the router also acts as ntp-server for internal devices, try this.
The NTP status in emsesp shows only if the service is started, not if gets a answer,that is maybe confusing.

This morning the UTC time was 18:42:39 jan 12 1970. After a reboot the time was 18:52:05 and now the UTC-time and datea are correct. I don't understand what has happened, but it works.

If you disable NTP, you can set the clock of emsesp manually.

I tried this:

• disabled NTP
• In the dashboard I double click the thermostat edit date/time and changed the time (a few minutes later) and I click on send => Write command failed

[MichaelDvP]

If you disable NTP, you have a time setting button in NetworkTime-> Status to set the ESP clock.
The thermostat clock in dashboard needs for setting also day of week and daylightsaving as single char, this is shown in the input filed and documented here.

[MichaelDvP]

@KeesBleijenberg Have you checked the latest version? There are some improvements and you can check the the sync status in web/mqtt/api. The status now shows if there is realy a time received from ntp server.
Please check and close the issue if ok.

[KeesBleijenberg]

@KeesBleijenberg Have you checked the latest version? There are some improvements and you can check the the sync status in web/mqtt/api. The status now shows if there is realy a time received from ntp server.
Please check and close the issue if ok.

This is what I've done:
Upgraded to version EMS-ESP Version v3.4.0b10 (verified in the system tab)
I click on Network Time and opened tab NTP Settings.
There I check enable NTP
Server: time.google.com
Time zone: Europe/Amsterdam
When I go to tab NTP-status I see Status: Inactive.
The local time is 15:34:00 which is incorrect (it is 15:23). I think this is the time on the thermostat.
Is NTP inactive because there is a thermostat time? If that is the case maybe "using thermostat time' is better then 'inactive'.

[MichaelDvP]

Is NTP inactive because there is a thermostat time?

No, ntp-status shows the status of received ntp times now, if the server does not answer and no time received within the last two hours the status goes to inactive. Try a different ntp-server. If you push the save-button in settings the ntp is restarted and trys immediatly to contact the server, the status should go to active if the server replys.

The esp32 contains a real time clock with good accuracy, the thermostats often have only a rc oszillator and option to correct the clock. If there is no real reference like ntp and both clocks have a valid, but maybe wrong, time, an automatic sync makes no sense, and manual sync will log a warning. Syncing esp clock to thermostat clock only makes sense if the esp has no valid time setting.

[KeesBleijenberg]

I tried i.e. nl-pool.ntp.org, time.cloudflare.com and ntp1.hetzner.de. After every try I clicked on save in the NTP settings. I also tried a restart of the gateway but the ntp status keeps saying inactive.

[MichaelDvP]

Have you blocked emsesp from contacting the internet in your router?
If your router is configured as ntp server, then try to use this.
Is the dns server set in emsesp? Try ip address for ntp server: 216.239.35.0 (time.google.com).

[proddy]

@MichaelDvP eltoro on Discord is getting the log flooded with these errors after the latest build:

000+08:46:16.769 I 22: [thermostat] thermostat time correction from ntp
000+08:46:17.618 I 23: [thermostat] thermostat time correction from ntp
000+08:46:19.006 I 24: [thermostat] thermostat time correction from ntp
000+08:46:19.905 I 25: [thermostat] thermostat time correction from ntp
000+08:46:21.280 I 26: [thermostat] thermostat time correction from ntp
000+08:46:21.819 I 27: [thermostat] thermostat time correction from ntp
000+08:46:22.569 I 28: [thermostat] thermostat time correction from ntp
000+08:46:23.222 I 29: [thermostat] thermostat time correction from ntp
000+08:46:23.769 I 30: [thermostat] thermostat time correction from ntp
000+08:46:24.294 I 31: [thermostat] thermostat time correction from ntp
000+08:46:25.144 I 32: [thermostat] thermostat time correction from ntp
000+08:46:25.943 I 33: [thermostat] thermostat time correction from ntp
000+08:46:27.293 I 34: [thermostat] thermostat time correction from ntp
000+08:46:28.081 I 35: [thermostat] thermostat time correction from ntp
000+08:46:28.868 I 36: [thermostat] thermostat time correction from ntp
000+08:46:29.419 I 37: [thermostat] thermostat time correction from ntp

His thermostat is "Rego 2000/3000", "0x10", "product id": 172