Precision Time Protocol (PTP) is the standard that guarantees both phase and frequency alignment across the entire packet network. Packet network infrastructure relies on PTP to synchronize timing devices across the network.​

Essential components of the synchronization architecture are the grandmaster, slave and boundary clocks. A Grandmaster clock provides standard time information to other clocks across the network A slave clock depends on the master clock for its accuracy, whereas a boundary clock can act as either a destination or source of synchronization information.