# TOTP 30 seconds ahead

**URL:** <https://onlykey.discourse.group/t/totp-30-seconds-ahead/121>\
**Category:** Two Factor Authentication\
**Created:** [December 1, 2020, 9:54pm UTC](https://onlykey.discourse.group/t/totp-30-seconds-ahead/121 "2020-12-01T21:54:10Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 10\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![bsonly](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/958977/32.png) [@bsonly](https://onlykey.discourse.group/u/bsonly)\
**Post date:** [December 1, 2020, 9:54pm UTC](https://onlykey.discourse.group/t/totp-30-seconds-ahead/121/1 "2020-12-01T21:54:11Z")

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I have one of my slots in my onlykey setup to do TOTP. I use it A LOT. Recently it stopped working for auth with my remote linux desktop. I have been using yubico authenticator until I had a moment to troubleshoot. When I spit out the TOTP into a text editor and compared to Yubico authenticator, I noticed the onlykey numbers were coming out 30 seconds earlier than the Yubico.

Today, I opened the chrome app, and right after, the times/TOTP on the onlykey were correct. After a while it was incorrect again. Closing and opening the chrome app fixed the problem.

Is this a bug or a misconfiguration?

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**Author:** ![My1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/57b2e6/32.png) [@My1](https://onlykey.discourse.group/u/My1)\
**Post date:** [December 2, 2020, 9:04am UTC](https://onlykey.discourse.group/t/totp-30-seconds-ahead/121/2 "2020-12-02T09:04:35Z")

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is the clock on your pc accurate? because TOTP relies on somebody throwing in the time for it. if the onlykey config tool is in the background, it’s likely it just throws the time over, and the website may use a server time.

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**Author:** ![t11](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/8e7dd6/32.png) [@t11](https://onlykey.discourse.group/u/t11)\
**Post date:** [December 2, 2020, 2:19pm UTC](https://onlykey.discourse.group/t/totp-30-seconds-ahead/121/3 "2020-12-02T14:19:35Z")

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OnlyKey time is set by the app once, the first time it connects, this is then used for TOTP until OnlyKey is removed.

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**Author:** ![bsonly](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/958977/32.png) [@bsonly](https://onlykey.discourse.group/u/bsonly)\
**Post date:** [December 2, 2020, 3:15pm UTC](https://onlykey.discourse.group/t/totp-30-seconds-ahead/121/4 "2020-12-02T15:15:19Z")

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Actually, what t11 makes sense. I recently started closing my office door now that it is colder and have been leaving the onlykey plugged in (the led is so obnoxious I would normally unplug it at night). It has probably been plugged in for some time continuously and is experiencing clock drift. I mistakenly thought it would ask for the time each TOTP cycle. I will try unplugging/replugging.

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**Author:** ![bsonly](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/958977/32.png) [@bsonly](https://onlykey.discourse.group/u/bsonly)\
**Post date:** [December 2, 2020, 3:17pm UTC](https://onlykey.discourse.group/t/totp-30-seconds-ahead/121/5 "2020-12-02T15:17:46Z")

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All thanks for the replies. I assume this fixed the issue. I will start a new topic and reference this if I see it again.

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**Author:** ![My1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/57b2e6/32.png) [@My1](https://onlykey.discourse.group/u/My1)\
**Post date:** [December 2, 2020, 3:27pm UTC](https://onlykey.discourse.group/t/totp-30-seconds-ahead/121/6 "2020-12-02T15:27:02Z")

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> [@bsonly](#):
>
> the led is so obnoxious I would normally unplug it at night

did you try the LED brightness setting?

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**Author:** ![bsonly](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/958977/32.png) [@bsonly](https://onlykey.discourse.group/u/bsonly)\
**Post date:** [December 2, 2020, 3:41pm UTC](https://onlykey.discourse.group/t/totp-30-seconds-ahead/121/7 "2020-12-02T15:41:34Z")

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Funny you should ask that. I noticed it when I was looking through the app yesterday. I had not looked in the app for some time before that. When I have some time I will experiment with it. For now, I am happy to close the door 🙂

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**Author:** ![furlock](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/45deac/32.png) [@furlock](https://onlykey.discourse.group/u/furlock)\
**Post date:** [December 3, 2020, 5:14pm UTC](https://onlykey.discourse.group/t/totp-30-seconds-ahead/121/8 "2020-12-03T17:14:40Z")

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Myself and my friend also experience TOTP time difference, but not always. I cannot tell when the problem occurs exactly, but something is wrong. Im using windows 10 and my friend is on mac. Im using Only key app, and he is using website for time sync.

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**Author:** ![tfmarketing](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/34f0e0/32.png) [@tfmarketing](https://onlykey.discourse.group/u/tfmarketing)\
**Post date:** [March 5, 2021, 12:32pm UTC](https://onlykey.discourse.group/t/totp-30-seconds-ahead/121/9 "2021-03-05T12:32:45Z")

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Are you suggesting that onlykey is able to connect to the internet??/  
That would be a huge security flaw

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**Author:** ![t11](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/8e7dd6/32.png) [@t11](https://onlykey.discourse.group/u/t11)\
**Post date:** [March 5, 2021, 1:07pm UTC](https://onlykey.discourse.group/t/totp-30-seconds-ahead/121/10 "2021-03-05T13:07:11Z")

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All FIDO2 security keys connect to websites - [FIDO2: Moving the World Beyond Passwords using WebAuthn & CTAP](https://fidoalliance.org/fido2/)

Its not a security flaw.
