Daylight Savings Time

[aircoreboy]

My RT-AC66U doesn't seem to be automatically updating the time for daylight savings (winter time, I'm in the UK). I have tried various NTP servers but with no success. I also have a media bridge (Buffalo) using the same servers, which did update the time, is this a bug in the F\W, I'm currently on Merlin 3.0.0.4.374.33_0, or does this router require manually changing the time?

 

[bill1228]

As I understand it, the ntp servers provide UTC time. They do not know about daylight savings time. This is why you have to set the time zone on PC's and other equipment. Handling of daylight savings time is up to the client, in this case the router. If you think about it, how would a ntp server know where you were living and set the time accordingly?
So to correct this would require Asus to update the firmware.
--bill

 

[aircoreboy]

That's what I was thinking, perhaps a bug in the F\W or perhaps not even a OEM feature. Seems odd, since I'm assuming the router must check the time it aquired from the NTP server with the time zone setting to adjust for the correct time, and then doesn't adjust for DST, why do any of this since the time will still be incorrect for 5 to 6 months of the year (in the UK). A bit disappointing since even the cheapest of my gadgets can adjust for DST automatically!

 

[Left_Handed_Smoke_Shifter]

I'd be interested to see if your time changes next Sunday when the US and Canada go back to standard time.

 

[aircoreboy]

I was wondering the same thing, so I'm avoiding updating DST manually for a week or so to see if it happens, will update...

 

[netware5]

There are some "time zone related" bugs in the FW. See below my post in THIS THREAD:

My time zone is GMT+2. Following the change in winter time, the system time is GMT +3 (ie router is showing one hour ahead of the real one) and there is a message in the Administration / System screen is showing the message " Remind: The System time zone is different from your locale setting".
Does anybody knows what is going on?
If I change the time zone to GMT +1, so the time shown is the correct one, I cannot access internet via a browser?
I am running 3.0.0.4.276 firmware!
Thanks in advance

I am also in GMT+2 and also experienced some problems. Finally I found the solution:

Background:
The router FW has several timezones which are declared as "GMT+2". They are as follows:
1. Bucharest;
2. Cairo;
3. Helsinki, Riga, Tallin;
4. Athens, Istanbul, Minsk;
5. Jerusalem;
6. Harare, Pretoria;
7. Ukraine

I don't know why the time zones with numbers 1,3 and partially 4 exist separately. In numbers 1 and 3 all countries are members of EU, in number 4 one country is EU member (Greece), so for all of them the same DST rules apply (change time last Sunday). For some reasons not all of these work well. I never checked others (non-EU countries), but "EU time zones" (number 1, 3 and 4) seems to be not equivalent for some weird reasons.

Solution:

Change the timezone to number 3. (Helsinki, Riga, Tallin) and everything will be fine.

Remark:

May be the same happens with time zone GMT+1 where many EU countries are distributed in time zones with different names. Even just now I realised that my city (Sofia) is included in one of these, which is definitely a mistake!

 

[aircoreboy]

I also have a message stating "* Remind: The System time zone is different from your locale setting.", how does the router know my locale and if it knows the time zone is different form my locale, then surely it most know the correct time for my locale, otherwise how would it know it was wrong?

 

[jim769]

I also have a message stating "* Remind: The System time zone is different from your locale setting.", how does the router know my locale and if it knows the time zone is different form my locale, then surely it most know the correct time for my locale, otherwise how would it know it was wrong?

The router checks the clock in your computer if they dont match it throws the error. At least i think thats how it works.

 

[DrTeeth]

I recall reading that Linux expects the main clock to be UTC, whilst windows expects it to be the 'correct' time. There is a reg fix that will allow Windows to show the correct time when the BIOS clock is UTC.

It is annoying that London is not in the list, at least not in the old version I am using here. My time changes correctly in the UK thanks to some DST config into supplied.

I have had real issues trying to tame the clock on my RT-N66U.

DrT

 

[jim769]

There is so many firmwares out there for these routers its almost confusing. I have tried them all on my N66 and found the Merlin build 3.0.0.4.372.32_beta1 workes the best for me and it has the ipv6 firewall. Great signals both bands no reboots no issues it just works i wont fix whats not broke.

 

[DanielCoffey]

Even picking a very specific NTP server (uk.pool.ntp.org) doesn't prompt the router to change its time setting.

If you point the router to an NTP server in your timezone I would think that taking its time from that server would be the expected behaviour.

 

[wouterv]

I also found that setting the timezone to bare "GMT Greenwich Mean Time" results in getting no time update at all, it starts from 0:00 and never gets the correct time.
Further on, use of GMT is from past centuries, nowadays UTC is the correct reference to use.

[EDIT] Strange enough it did pick the correct UTC time after trying this again (unreliable).

 

[aircoreboy]

Quick update, clock updated itself for DST this morning (Sunday), so it seems @Left Handed Smoke Shifter was right in that DST updates automatically for GMT according to USA\Canada setting. Bit disappointing the update isn't country specific but it does work to a degree so, all good!

 

[DrTeeth]

I have attached a screenshot of what works for me in the UK. It is not my own work but was supplied by another here who should take the full credit. I had been wrestling with this for weeks until the attached settings were provided. No way could I have figured this on my own.

DrT

 

[bill1228]

I have attached a screenshot of what works for me in the UK. It is not my own work but was supplied by another here who should take the full credit. I had been wrestling with this for weeks until the attached settings were provided. No way could I have figured this on my own.

DrT

Had never noticed that option until your post. Yes that would allow you to over ride what the defaults are. Only real issue is knowing what to set them to and I am sure that a "google" would find that info for you.
--bill

 

[DanielCoffey]

Remember to check the settings each year in case there are four or five Sundays in the relevant months that year.

 

[TonyH]

Hi,
That is good idea. Even in professional field they don't keep updating f/w 'cause there is new version. They only do when they have a reason. Same applies to us.

 

[aircoreboy]

Thanks for the info DrT, you're right, those settings aren't clearly explained at all, I wouldn't have figured them out either! Still, having to check, as DanielCoffey mentioned, whether ther are four or five Sundays in the month (although easy enough) is a bit lame, considering Asus went to the trouble of implementing schedule based parental controls and wireless radio, making sure each time zone had the correct time, all the time would've been good! Anyway, rant over, again, thanks DrT!

 

[DaveMishSr]

Even picking a very specific NTP server (uk.pool.ntp.org) doesn't prompt the router to change its time setting.

If you point the router to an NTP server in your timezone I would think that taking its time from that server would be the expected behaviour.

It takes a while for the NTP function to sync the router's internal clock. That has been the case with my AC68 and 66U routers as well as the N66U I used before upgrading to 802.11ac. When I set up the RT-AC68U the clock sync'd overnight. I use a specific NTP server, usually nist1-la.ustiming.org or time-c.timefreq.bldrdoc.gov.

 

[DrTeeth]

Regarding the NTP server; why not have a button that will do an immediate sync? At least one would know if one had made the right choices.