Techniques for improved clock offset measuring

A network node comprising:

• a memory comprising code;
• and
• a processor configured in response to execution of the code to cause the network node to receive from another network node a set of timing messages containing single byte data payloads, to capture and save arrival timestamps for each of the set of timing messages, to send, responsive to the receiving, the another network node a corresponding set of timing messages containing a same single byte data payload as contained in the corresponding received timing message, wherein receiving a timing message and sending a timing message forms a ping pong exchange, and where there is no difference between a value of the single bytes for each exchange but there is a difference between values of the single bytes between exchanges;
• and to send the timestamps to at least the another node in response to completion of receiving the set and sending the corresponding set of timing messages.

A program product comprising a non-transitory computer readable storage medium comprising computer program code, the computer program code configured to cause a computer system in response to execution of the computer program code to perform the following:

• receiving at a network node from another network node a set of timing messages containing single byte data payloads;
• capturing and saving arrival timestamps for each of the set of timing messages;
• responsive to the receiving, sending to the another network node a corresponding set of timing messages containing a same single byte data payload as contained in the corresponding received timing message, wherein receiving a timing message and sending a timing message forms a ping pang exchange, and where there is no difference between a value of the single bytes for each exchange but there is a difference between values of the single bytes between exchanges;
• and
• sending the timestamps to at least the another node in response to completion of receiving the set and sending the corresponding set of timing messages.