A synchronization module for providing synchronization messages to be sent with a time stamp in accordance with the PTP protocol of standard IEEE 1588 is provided. The synchronization module comprises a program module for generating a synchronization message to be sent and for providing the synchronization message with a first time stamp, and a hardware-implemented time stamp module which receives synchronization messages from the program module and forwards them in accordance with the PTP protocol. The time stamp module comprises a real time clock, a message detector for recognizing a synchronization message by its difference in relation to other messages and a message manipulator for overwriting the first time stamp in a synchronization message recognized by the message detector with a second time stamp actually retrieved from the real time clock.