A Study of the Merits of Precision Time Protocol (IEEE-1588) Across High-Speed Data Networks

By using Precision Time Protocol across high-speed data networks, it is possible to achieve good time synchronisation without requiring the use of custom switches. Even under heavy network loads, the attainable precision far exceeds that which is possible with Network Time Protocol, and is sufficient for many applications. This note explores the attainable precision possible with PTP under various conditions and attempts to provide a measurement of its performance.