Though time is available over the Internet, the reliability of that time is subject to network conditions and the availability of the time server providing the time. Keeping the time server inside the firewall brings the reliability to the level of your own network and gives you direct control over the server. Because the dedicated time server is optimized to the single task of accurately serving time, the risks and maintenance requirements inherent in using a workstation are eliminated. Simplicity is one of the hallmarks of TrueTime network time servers. This easy setup is in contrast to a workstation-based time server that requires installation, compilation and maintenance of the server software, and some way to steer the workstation clock to a time standard.
Security is maximized when the time server is installed within the network firewall.
The time server acquires time from the GPS system, via an antenna, with no threat to network security. It then distributes the time to the clients over the network within the firewall. The accuracy of an NTP client synchronizing to an NTP time server is typically 1 to 10 milliseconds, depending on the network. This is a very cost-effective way to bring precise time to a great number of workstations. Note that this specification is not a function of the accuracy of time server but of the ability of the network time protocol to resolve network latencies and synchronize the client to the server.