# Synchronize VM time with VMware host time
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To successfully activate your gateway, you must ensure that your VM time is synchronized to the host time, and that the host time is correctly set. In this section, you first synchronize the time on the VM to the host time. Then you check the host time and, if needed, set the host time and configure the host to synchronize its time automatically to a Network Time Protocol (NTP) server. 

**Important**  
Synchronizing the VM time with the host time is required for successful gateway activation.

**To synchronize VM time with host time**

1. Configure your VM time.

   1. In the vSphere client, right-click on the name of your gateway VM in panel on the left side of the application window to open the context menu for the VM, and then choose **Edit Settings**.

      The **Virtual Machine Properties** dialog box opens.

   1. Choose the **Options** tab, and then choose **VMware Tools** from the options list.

   1. Check the **Synchronize guest time with host** option in the **Advanced** section on the right side of the **Virtual Machine Properties** dialog box, and then choose **OK**.

      The VM synchronizes its time with the host.

1. Configure the host time. 

   It is important to make sure that your host clock is set to the correct time. If you have not configured your host clock, perform the following steps to set and synchronize it with an NTP server.

   1. In the VMware vSphere client, select the vSphere host node in the left panel, and then choose the **Configuration** tab.

   1. Select **Time Configuration** in the **Software** panel, and then choose the **Properties** link. 

      The **Time Configuration** dialog box appears.

   1. Under **Date and Time**, set the date and time for your vSphere host.

   1. Configure the host to synchronize its time automatically to an NTP server.

      1. Choose **Options** in the **Time Configuration** dialog box, and then in the **NTP Daemon (ntpd) Options** dialog box, choose **NTP Settings** in the left panel.

      1. Choose **Add** to add a new NTP server.

      1. In the **Add NTP Server** dialog box, type the IP address or the fully qualified domain name of an NTP server, and then choose **OK**. 

         You can use `pool.ntp.org` as the domain name.

      1. In the **NTP Daemon (ntpd) Options** dialog box, choose **General** in the left panel.

      1. Under **Service Commands**, choose **Start** to start the service.

         Note that if you change this NTP server reference or add another later, you will need to restart the service to use the new server.

   1. Choose **OK** to close the **NTP Daemon (ntpd) Options** dialog box.

   1. Choose **OK** to close the **Time Configuration** dialog box.