NTP clients not connecting to ntp server on nat'd AP

RouterOS Wireless Networking
1

I’ve searched the forum and haven’t seen any posts quite like this.
The problem is the same on at least three ap’s running 2.9.50 on two and 3.2 on another.
All AP’s are RB532.
Typical setup is like this. NTP Server—router----AP-(nat)----Client(multiple)
I login to the first client and set ntp client to ntp server’s ip. Apply the settings and status states started, reached, time set and syncronized. Just as it should.
I go to the next client on the same ip, set the ntp server ip. Status sits at “started”.

Same thing occurs with clients on the second and third AP’s. I can configure the first one and it will work fine. The remaining clients never get past a status of “started”. I can ping the ntp server just fine and all routes are in place and working fine.

Is this some limitation of NAT?
I suppose I could set each AP as an ntp-server and direct the clients to the ap, but I have a generic configuration file that I use to configure the client devices and I would like to use the one ntp-server for all devices.

Any help would be appreciated.
Aug

2

run packet sniffer at the NTP server and look at the reply source ip. I ran into this and found it was replying with a different IP that queried on.

I can’t remember if a nat redirect rule :123 was what fixed it ..

3

I ran packetsniffer on the client, the AP and time server. I also ran wireshark on a hub between the router and the AP. It appears as if the requests are never getting to the ntp-server…and then for no apparent reason it starts getting them and responding. Several of the clients have sync’d up, but it took most of 6-8 hours to do so.
I suspect the router or my network configuration. I’ve been doing some bridged to routing transitioning. I may have a flaw in plan.
Aug