How to Query an NTP Server using C#?

Question

All I need is a way to query an NTP Server using C# to get the Date Time of the NTP Server returned as either a string or as a DateTime.

H

Answer 1

A modified version to compensate network times and calculate with DateTime-Ticks (more precise than milliseconds)

public static DateTime GetNetworkTime()
{
  const string NtpServer = "pool.ntp.org";

  const int DaysTo1900 = 1900 * 365 + 95; // 95 = offset for leap-years etc.
  const long TicksPerSecond = 10000000L;
  const long TicksPerDay = 24 * 60 * 60 * TicksPerSecond;
  const long TicksTo1900 = DaysTo1900 * TicksPerDay;

  var ntpData = new byte[48];
  ntpData[0] = 0x1B; // LeapIndicator = 0 (no warning), VersionNum = 3 (IPv4 only), Mode = 3 (Client Mode)

  var addresses = Dns.GetHostEntry(NtpServer).AddressList;
  var ipEndPoint = new IPEndPoint(addresses[0], 123);
  long pingDuration = Stopwatch.GetTimestamp(); // temp access (JIT-Compiler need some time at first call)
  using (var socket = new Socket(AddressFamily.InterNetwork, SocketType.Dgram, ProtocolType.Udp))
  {
    socket.Connect(ipEndPoint);
    socket.ReceiveTimeout = 5000;
    socket.Send(ntpData);
    pingDuration = Stopwatch.GetTimestamp(); // after Send-Method to reduce WinSocket API-Call time

    socket.Receive(ntpData);
    pingDuration = Stopwatch.GetTimestamp() - pingDuration;
  }

  long pingTicks = pingDuration * TicksPerSecond / Stopwatch.Frequency;

  // optional: display response-time
  // Console.WriteLine("{0:N2} ms", new TimeSpan(pingTicks).TotalMilliseconds);

  long intPart = (long)ntpData[40] << 24 | (long)ntpData[41] << 16 | (long)ntpData[42] << 8 | ntpData[43];
  long fractPart = (long)ntpData[44] << 24 | (long)ntpData[45] << 16 | (long)ntpData[46] << 8 | ntpData[47];
  long netTicks = intPart * TicksPerSecond + (fractPart * TicksPerSecond >> 32);

  var networkDateTime = new DateTime(TicksTo1900 + netTicks + pingTicks / 2);

  return networkDateTime.ToLocalTime(); // without ToLocalTime() = faster
}