NTP Timestamp Converter [2025]

Tool rating: 0 people found this tool terrific

Convert Network Time Protocol timestamps to human-readable formats. Essential for network synchronization and protocol analysis.

✓ Full 64-bit Support✓ Era Calculations✓ Code Examples

Understanding NTP Timestamps

Timestamp Structure

32 bits: seconds since 1-Jan-1900

32 bits: fractional second

Total: 64 bits representing time with ~200ps precision

Era: 136 years per timestamp overflow

Time Range

  • Era 0

    1900-2036 (first era)

  • Era 1

    2036-2172

  • Precision

    ~200 picoseconds

Technical Details

Fixed-Point Format

The NTP timestamp is a 64-bit fixed-point number:

Bits 0-31: Seconds
Bits 32-63: Fractional second
Resolution: 2^-32 seconds

Each increment of the fractional part represents about 232 picoseconds.

Epoch Differences

  • NTP Epoch

    1 January 1900, 00:00:00 UTC

  • Unix Epoch

    1 January 1970, 00:00:00 UTC

  • Offset

    2,208,988,800 seconds

Common Use Cases

Network Analysis

Packet Inspection

Extract and analyze NTP timestamps from network packets to understand synchronization behavior and timing issues.

Time Synchronization

Clock Discipline

Calculate offsets and delays for precise time synchronization across networks.

Frequently Asked Questions

What happens in 2036?

The first NTP era ends in 2036, when the seconds field overflows. NTP continues working through era numbers, maintaining continuous timekeeping across this boundary.

Why use fixed-point format?

Fixed-point arithmetic provides consistent precision and avoids floating-point rounding errors, which is crucial for accurate time synchronization.

How accurate is NTP time?

NTP timestamps provide theoretical precision to 232 picoseconds, though practical network accuracy is typically in the millisecond to microsecond range.

What's the difference between NTP and Unix time?

NTP uses a fixed-point format starting from 1900, while Unix time uses integer seconds since 1970. NTP provides higher precision and a longer time range.

Comments

Please sign in to leave a comment

No comments yet

Be the first to share your thoughts! Your feedback helps us improve our tools and inspires other users.

More Time Tools

Age Calculator

Calculate your age & remaining time on this planet

Age Difference Calculator

Determine difference in ages

Business Day Calculator

Calculate the number of business days between two dates

Chrome Timestamp Converter

Convert Chrome/Webkit timestamps into human readable dates

Clarion Date Converter

Convert between Clarion and human-readable dates

Countdown Timer

Everything you ever wanted in a timer

Date Difference Calculator

Determine the difference between two dates

Date Formatter

Format dates in all kinds of ways

Discord Timestamp Converter

Convert any date to Discord's own format

DMESG Timestamp Converter

Convert Linux DMESG dates to human readable ones

JSON Timestamp Converter

Convert JSON dates to standard formats

LDAP Timestamp Converter

Convert LDAP to human readable dates

Leap Year Calculator

Find out when the next leap years take place

MongoDB Timestamp Converter

Convert ObjectIDs to human readable dates

Pomodoro Timer

Use this famous focus technique to your advantage

Retirement Calculator

Calculate the time until you reach retirement

Roman Date Converter

Convert between Roman and Gregorian dates

SQL Timestamp Converter

Convert between different date formats in SQL Server

Time Unit Converter

Convert from miliseconds all the way to years

Timezone Converter

Travel across the globe with our timezone converter

Week Number Calculator

Find out what week number a specific date has

Windows Timestamp Converter

Convert Integer8 to human readable dates

Work Hours Calculator

Calculate your work hours over a given time period