Clock sync: when your computer is two seconds off

[Shadow Trader]

Trading platforms and scripts rely on timestamps. If the computer's clock drifts, signals tied to precise moments, such as news releases or session opens, can be early or late. Logs also become unreliable, making it harder to analyse fills.

A drift of a second or two is common on machines that have not synchronised recently. On a VPS, it can be worse after a restart or if the time service is misconfigured.

The fix is straightforward. Enable automatic time synchronisation through a network time service, and check the offset from time to time. Free tools show the difference between the computer's clock and a reference.

For anyone logging order times to analyse latency, accurate clocks are essential. A measured latency of 300 milliseconds is meaningless if the local clock is off by a second.

It also helps to know the platform's own server time and how it relates to UTC, since the server clock is what determines bar boundaries.

When did you last check your computer's clock against a reference source?