RouterBOARD devices (such as RB1000) typically do not have a battery-backed hardware clock (RTC). This means the system time resets after each reboot. To keep time accurate, you must configure the router to synchronize with an external NTP (Network Time Protocol) server.
* A.#Inefficient and non-scalable solution.
* B.#The /system ntp server is used to act as an NTP server for others - not for receiving time.
* C.#Correct - You must enable /system ntp client and point to a reachable NTP server to get the correct time on boot.
* D.#Irrelevant - RouterBOARDs do not have CMOS batteries for timekeeping like traditional PCs.
Extract from MTCNA Course Material - Time Synchronization:
"To maintain correct system time, configure NTP client to sync with a public or internal time server after reboot." Extract from Rene Meneses Study Guide - Clock and Scheduler:
"RouterBOARD devices don't have battery-backed RTC. Use the NTP client to update time after reboot." Extract from MikroTik Wiki - NTP Setup:
"Use /system ntp client to sync time. /system clock alone will reset on reboot without NTP."