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How to configure NTP server on ASA using hostname

zheka_pefti
Level 2
Level 2

Is this forum alive? I'd rather say all real network pros abandoned it.

Can someone please tell me how to configure the ASA with NTP server hostnames. I want to explicitly use hostnames as a particular NTP hostname is actually a pool of hosts with different IP addresses. One of them goes down the other one takes over.

ASA(config)# ntp server ?

configure mode commands/options:

Hostname or A.B.C.D IP address of peer

I'm trying to use Hostname and fail.

ASA(config)# ntp server 0.ca.pool.ntp.org

^

ERROR: % Invalid Hostname

DNS is enabled and I can resolve this hostname into the IP address:

ASA(config)# ping inside 0.ca.pool.ntp.org

Type escape sequence to abort.

Sending 5, 100-byte ICMP Echos to 216.194.70.2, timeout is 2 seconds:

6 Replies 6

Collin Clark
VIP Alumni
VIP Alumni

Unfortunately the lookup is done locally and not via DNS.

fw-1(config)# ntp server 0.ca.pool.ntp.org

^

ERROR: % Invalid Hostname

But once you add the hostname locally, it works. Also note that the hostname must start with a letter!

fw-1(config)# name 1.1.1.1 ca.pool.ntp.org

fw-1(config)# ntp server ca.pool.ntp.org

Hope that helps.

Thanks, Collin. It would work like a charm but the original idea was to use a hostname for a pool of NTP servers and this pool consists of a number of hosts that could be changed without a notice.

Is this still not possible in the newer versions of code?

Nope, this is still missing.

I could not even find an enhancement bug.

Sad.

So even if DNS servers are configured in the ASA you still cannot use hostnames in place of NTP servers? 

Yes, that is the case.

Or at least it was a year ago. I have not tested since my comment.

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