Port Traffic Controls

Rate-Limiting

N o t e

C a u t i o n

N o t e

Rate-Limiting

Feature

Default

Menu

CLI

Web

rate-limit all

none

n/a

page 13-5

n/a

show rate-limit all

n/a

n/a

page 13-6

n/a

rate-limit icmp

none

n/a

page 13-13

n/a

show rate-limit icmp

n/a

n/a

page 13-14

n/a

 

 

 

 

 

All Traffic Rate-Limiting

Rate-limiting for all traffic operates on a per-port basis to allow only the specified bandwidth to be used for inbound or outbound traffic. When traffic exceeds the configured limit, it is dropped. This effectively sets a usage level on a given port, and is a tool for enforcing maximum service level commit­ ments granted to network users. This feature operates on a per-port level and is not configurable on port trunks. Note that rate-limiting is designed to be applied at the network edge to limit traffic from non-critical users or to enforce service agreements such as those offered by Internet Service Providers (ISPs) to provide only the bandwidth for which a customer has paid.

Rate-limiting also can be applied by a RADIUS server during an authentication client session. For further details, refer to the chapter titled “RADIUS Authen­ tication and Accounting” in the Access Security Guide for your switch.

Rate-limiting is intended for use on edge ports in a network. It is not recommended for use on links to other switches, routers, or servers within a network, or for use in the network core. Doing so can interfere with applications the network requires to function properly.

The switches covered in this guide also support ICMP rate-limiting to mitigate the effects of certain ICMP-based attacks. For more information, refer to “ICMP Rate-Limiting” on page 13-10.

13-4