I've been encountering a weird issue at work where multiple laptops running Windows 11 automatically switch to a different time zone—an hour ahead—when users enter a specific meeting room. When they leave the room, the time zone goes back to the correct setting. Here's what I know so far: everyone is connected to the same corporate Wi-Fi, there are no access points installed in that room, and the laptops are managed centrally. Even after disabling the 'Set time zone automatically' option and editing the registry, the problem persists. I suspect something funny is happening with the new AV equipment in there messing with Windows location services. Has anyone dealt with this kind of situation? Could the AV gear really be the cause?
6 Answers
It might also be useful to check the NTP settings in your DHCP. If they've been incorrectly configured, it could impact the time settings, although NTP doesn't directly handle time zones or DST.
Interesting problem! Wi-Fi networks can broadcast time zone data as part of the 802.11v protocol. If the new AV gear was moved from another location, it might still be sending out outdated data related to its previous BSSID. Have you checked that?
You might find that laptops are picking up on past Wi-Fi access points associated with a different time zone. This can happen if devices with GPS are still reporting the MAC address linked to another location. The issue might resolve as those references fade over time. We once dealt with a similar situation by removing those old access points.
I’d suggest powering down the AV equipment in that room to see if the time zone issue stops. If the gear is emitting a detectable signal, it could be linked to the laptops automatically adjusting their locations based on that signal. Just a theory, but worth trying!
That's probably a good move! Just be aware it might require collaboration with other teams, so it could take a bit to get that done.
It could be that the laptops are picking up an IP from a different VLAN when they connect in that room, which might be resulting in a different time zone being assigned through the DHCP server. This is definitely something to consider!
Great point! Windows can also receive time through TLS packets, so if that access point's time is wrong, it could mess things up. Just a thought!
Consider unplugging the new AV gear entirely and see if that fixes the time-shifting problem. The MAC address of any detectable wireless signal could trigger Windows to adjust its time zone based on the last known location of that AV hardware. It’s a deep rabbit hole, but worth exploring!
True, but since NTP handles time syncing, it's still worth a glance!