Open (external) port after (default) install?

[Frank Daley]

> Don't know if you have a firewall in front of Ubuntu that logs 
> connections, but if you do, watch what happens when ubuntu boots up:
> I have done two installation on two different boxes with two different 
> builds of Ubuntu, and find that on boot, it likes to connect to :
> 216.154.195.60 on port 123 OR
> 213.84.180.73 on port 123
> The first ip address resolves to http://forum.spamcop.net/ and the 
> second one resolves to jansen.cx
> Why is ubuntu logging into port 123 of these addresses on boot?
> Now, if we are reporting things to spamcop, fine, but we should be 
> informed, I do not like distros that report things without my knowledge.
>
> Darren

darren 
Port 123 is the NTP time sync service used to check an NTP server so
that it can correctly set your PC clock.

-- Frank