What is the price for having such a feature for my server? I recieved a ticket earlier stating that this technology will be offered to your customers and the price was undetermined at that time..so.... what's the price?

Looks like you can order FloodGuard with a new server for $10 for 8 IP addresses protected.

I didn't get a ticket, but I am going to add this to my current server for sure. However, I wonder what the pricing is for ONE ip. I don't want to pay to protect 8 when I only have/need 1.

Or, if my 3 other "invisible" IPs count, I don't want to pay for 8 IPs when I only have 4.

Still, this is great news! I got DoS'd from a traffic based attack earlier this month for 8 solid hours, and I've been looking forward to FloodGuard. When they said there would be a fee for it, I was terrified the cost would be 50$/mth or 100$/mth like the firewall. 10$/mth is quite reasonable

Where can I view more info on the pricing of this?

i also got one ip but i am thinking about buying a second server.
So my question is can i buy a 8 ip package and use it on both servers or do i need a separate package pr server ???

Looks like a nice deal. Sure wished that it could be spilt. I have 5 IPs on one machine and 13 on another. I believe they should actually come out with a plan which correspond to the number of IPs being offered on the order form like 1 IP, 5 IP, 13 IP and 29 IP.. this will make sense for most of us.

I just got up and like the idea of the flood protection but have not really read more about it yet. I was wondering if there is some monitoring for this that we could see ?

How exactly does this work? Also, for customers that do not have it, how is the $250/incident charged?

Lastly, are you offering this for colo clients?

I guess the $250/per incident charge is to mop up the mess that a Flood attack brings.

I know that the Flood Guard is supposed to deflect such attack but during the flooding period when it is being deflected, would the server be accessible by legitimate access or it still will be entirely blocked ?

I just contacted sales but since it is new, they cannot get back to me on the full details.

What the.... ?

I sure hope the $250 isnt madatory as it is not in the agreement I agreed to when I signed up.

You offer protection for us who do not have FloodGuard? How does that work? I understand the $250 for those who does not have FloodGuard AND request protection... but.... ?

Also, it all boils down that I only have 1 IP. Would that be something like an extra $1.12 a month instead of $10 a month? I have no need to waste $10 a month for 10 ips when I only have 1 IP.

As for the unguarded IPs, does this include IPs that are not under our control but are assigned to us? For example I have one IP, however, there 3 others out in limbo I have no control over. If one of those is flooded, am I responsible for it? I hope not, as we cannot be responsible for IPs we have no control over....


Answers would be welcomed.

I hope it isn't either or I might move, i can't afford a $250 payment if we get flooded by a DDOS attack. I will though be looking into getting the flood gaurd.

If I hear anything new from Sales, I will post them here. In fact, I asked them to post here for the benefit of others. He is finding out the answers to my questions.

I am not sure if this applies but this part of the AUP was there since I signed up in August. Looks the same as it was months before I signed up though.

http://www.servermatrix.com/aup.html

Customer Security Obligation

Each Customer must use reasonable care in keeping each server or network devices attached to SERVER MATRIX infrastructure up-to-date and patched with the latest security updates. Failure to use reasonable care to protect your server may result in a security compromise by outside sources. SERVER MATRIX is not responsible for Customer server level security unless a security administration package, firewall security administration package or fully managed operating system package is contracted for. A compromised server creating network interference will result in immediate Customer notification and will be disconnected from the network immediately so as to not directly affect other Customers. No service credits will be issued for outages resulting from disconnection due directly to breached server security. The Customer is solely responsible for any breaches of security affecting servers under Customer control. If a Customer intentionally creates a security breach, the cost to resolve any damage to Customer's server or other servers will be charged directly to the Customer. The labor used to resolve such damage is categorized as emergency security breach recovery and is currently charged at $295 USD per hour.

-----------

Then again I believe that if you are being flooded, you could always ask for your server to be unplugged. I guess the fees are there but whether it is being enforced or not that is another issue altogether.

I've bought myself the service. They DO NOT offer a plan lower than the 8 IPs, it's the minimum.

The way I figure it, 10$ a month is way better than 250$ per incidant, so I'm happy with 10$/mth, especially because a few days ago my server was taken out for 8 hours by a nasty DoS attack.

Don't disagree. Was there any special control panel in Orbit which you can determine which port to check or it is just done via the standard support ticket.

I will definitely get it.. I just need a few questions answered before I do.

I got a system with 5 IPs, so I guess that is 8 since 3 are used by the VLAN and stuff. And the other is with 13 IPs, and that probably means I'll get the 16 IPs plan since that should cover my needs.

Keep us updated if you see anything different and is there a set up charge for existing customers ?

I just did an RFQ.

The Floodguard system works best when implemented in advance. When implemented prior to attacks, the sensors "learn" your normal traffic patterns and it helps detect DDOS or Syn Flood traffic. While we have many tools already in place to mitigate DDOS and Syn Flood on a global network basis, this level of protection assists you if you are the specific target of the attack. We will be adding a $5 per month option for a single IP (4 IP block...see below). When we route you a block of 4 IPs, only one is usable...one is assigned to the router, one is for broadcast and the other is your gateway. Hence 4 IP block = 1 usable IP, 8 IP block = 5 usable IPs, 16 IP block = 13 usable IPs, 32 IP block = 29 usable IPs, etc.... We priced the floodguard to protect all IPs in the range, not just the actual usable IP's. You will NOT be required to pay $250 if you come under attack, you will only need to pay $250 if you come under attack at a local host level and you wish to implement Floodguard after the fact. We have priced the product to allow all users to sign up in advance. Floodguard will be much more effective before the attack because it will have a baseline of your traffic patterns. After the attack, floodguard must "learn on the fly" so to speak. It is a very useful tool in mitigating DDOS and Syn Flood attacks and I highly recommend implementing it on all servers. I hope this helps and let us know if we can further define the offering.

Lance,

Thanks. That sure clarifies everything. The 4 IP option is great plan since quite a number are using one IP.

Is there a set up fee for existing customers who opt for the FloodGuard protection now ?

I will definitely sign up.

Setup is Free of charge........just create an RFQ for the service and include your IP.

Lance,

You have been a great help. I just dropped a RFQ for FloodGuard for my two servers here.

Incidentally, would legitimate access still reach my server if I end up in the unfortunate situation of being Flooded and FloodGuard kicks in ?

Would it alert me of a flood attack ?

Would there is a monitoring system to show details of a flood and to show that flood guard is actually working ?

Sorry for all these questions. It is all new to me.

There's some more info on FloodGuard here: http://www.netzentry.com/

And, a whitepaper here: http://www.netzentry.com/pdfs/netzentry_wh...per_7_15_03.pdf

Free :o sweet, I have 5 ip's 2 usable 3 not so I guess $10 is coming out each month then

I was looking at their website but i am still confused a bit, so far what i read it seems that this product is extremely good, and will help fend off many ddos attacks and all teh like.

but,

when we decide to get this from SM, do we have access to the control panel sort of thing, that you can see in their falsh demos of how it works?

and if not, what happens if it blocks legitimate traffic, such as game server traffic?

Thanks,

Zero0ne

a.k.a. Chris

Good question. I am not sure. But Lance did mentioned about having the floodguard hardware 'learn' your traffic characteristics.

I did ask the question about fending off legitimate traffic but we will see how that goes. In any case, I did sign up for it, when it is set up, I'll see if I could drop a review or something.

I just noticed a new FloodGuard forum. Could this be moved there ? Pretty Please

Done and done!

I will be posting a comprehensive explanation of how FloodGuard works, and how it is offered as a Managed Security Service in this forum later this morning.

I dont know what it is but I just ordered it lol Thanks

Though I am not sure how this floodgate protection works, but from the website (netzentry.com). It does seems to work from the examples. So I have subscribe to the service for my servers.

Personally, I noticed lots of such SYN or TCP sweep scans on an hourly basis. So if this can work to prevent such unnecessary traffic from normal traffic. It is certainly a big plus:)

I am really gald to see Servermatrix/ThePlanet constantly providing new services and better prices for customers. Though, I have also join you less than a month, but I really must congratulate servermatrix in all aspect. So far it is one of the best web hosting provider I have worked it. Excellent network and friendly support staff. Really beats many of the other providers I have used in the past 6 years! Thank you!

Warmest Regards
Robert Lee

Sweet, thanks for the answers, I'm RFQ now..

FYI, got my RFQ replied to, $1 per IP is what I got, so $4 per month for me. Donno how this will effect additional IPs I may order.

They replied to your RFQ fast. I actually put in an order last nite but nothing yet. Although that was buried behind quite a number of inquiries in the same ticket.

They just responded again.. bleh! $5 for every 4 IPs. They apologize for misquoting earlier.... hrmph!

5$ isn't so bad compared to the 50$ firewall with 150$ installation charge

Yeah, when they process my order, the $30 spent on the floodguard would be there to serve my two machines instead of the $100 I need to spend for both

Kindda a nice deal. Of course, I hope I never get flooded.

Actually a firewall is great by keeping bad traffic out but in a flood hitting the firewall and it constantly rejecting the syn could actually overwhelm the firewall and kill it in the process.

If floodguard does what it supposed to do by deflecting bad traffic to some black hole, it would be great. This way, those bad traffic would probably not even reach the server.

Here is a link to a FloodGuard demo program:
http://www.netzentry.com/demos/index.php

We will be providing FloodGuard coverage (aka: "Protection Domains") in blocks of IP's as follows:

1 IP --------------------> $5.00/month
8 IP's ------------------> $10.00/month
16 IP's -----------------> $20.00/month
32 IP's -----------------> $40.00/month
64IP's ------------------> $75.00/month
128 IP's ----------------> $100.00/month
255 IP's ----------------> $200.00/month


"When we decide to get this from SM, do we have access to the control panel sort of thing, that you can see in their flash demos of how it works?
and if not, what happens if it blocks legitimate traffic, such as game server traffic?"


FloodGuard is part of our network infrastructure and is offered as a managed service for the benefit of our customers. No customer access to the system is allowed. The FloodGuard will never block legitimate traffic. This is not an Intrusion Detection system. We already have IDS deployed. This is a DoS / DDoS mitigating system. FloodGuard only watches for and responds to verified DoS / DDoS traffic. I know it will always be tempting to look for external causes when a server isn't working, but unless your running a "DoS Me" game, the FloodGuard will not be blocking your traffic. Please see FloodGuard's site and read the whitepaper for technical details on connection tracking, whitelisting and more.


"Will SM lift the ban on IRC now that FloodGuard is deployed?"

Not likely.


"Gee, now that I'm DoS proof, I think I'll challenge everyone I know to come DoS me. Maybe I'll even post some inflamatory messages on IRC. I work hard for my money, so I REALLY want to get my $10.00 worth."


You will lose.

DoS mitigated is not DoS / DDoS / DRDoS "proof". It is possible to send enough traffic to overcome the actuators and bring your server down. FloodGuard just makes it very difficult.
<repeat after me> "THERE IS NO INTERNET CONNECTED SYSTEM THAT IS IMMUNE TO THE EFFECTS OF DoS / DDoS."

Additionally, if it becomes known that you challenged the DoS, you may be financially liable for all of the bandwidth consumed during the attack. If you repeatedly invite DoS / DDoS into our network, you will be in violation of our Acceptable Use Policy and Terms of Service.


"I just installed a new software package on my server, and it's not working. I heard that FloodGuard might be blocking traffic to my server somehow"

Ummm.... No. FloodGuard doesn't work that way.


"Well, I was seeing 80,000 hits per day on my stats last week, and now I'm seeing less. I think FloodGuard is blocking people."


Again, No. FloodGuard doesn't work that way.


"But what if 100 people all connect to my server at the sime time. Will FloodGuard block them?"

Nope.
FloodGuard only blocks confirmed Dos / DDoS / DRDoS attacks. That's all.


"Well, Mabel Tuscadero form down at Kasperski's Deli told me that product X, Y or Z was MUCH better than FloodGuard."

Tell Mabel that she should stick to selling cold-cuts.
The Planet and Server Matrix are commited to providing you with the best products and managed services available.


"Does this mean that if I do not purchase FG and someone atacks my server I will have to pay 250$?"

Absolutely not.

It means that if you fall under a DoS / DDoS attack, have not purchaced FloodGuard protection ahead of time, and you now want to use the FloodGuard to mitigate the attack, you will be charged a $250.00 fee for Incident Response.

Incident Response consists of an "emergency" FloodGuard set-up, fast training of the FloodGuard device, isolation of the attack traffic, instant creation of your "protection domain", hand-coded discrimination filtering and finally - the mitigation of the attack on your servers.

The FloodGuard appliances really do work better and are more responsive when set-up in advance of an attack.

Hope that helps to answer some questions.

Just one question to add to your FAQ: Can we be notified by some method (Orbit, Email, telephone, whatever works) when FloodGuard stops/mitigates an attack on our servers? I think we'd like to know when filters are in effect.

I realize that it may be possible to identify FloodGuard in action by looking for huge spikes in the network graphs that immediately dissapear as FloodGuard kicks in, but that's kind of iffy as a ironclad method of knowing when you're under attack and protected

I'd like notification if for no other reason that the warm fuzzy feeling inside from knowing that I'm protected

loose to an attacker, is that same as lose to an attacker?

Sounds really tempting....

I submitted an RFQ for my server... Lets hope it doesn't take too long to get a responce

Apparently my request for the 5$ plan has been submitted to support for implementation ^_^

Same here My $20 and $10 plans were approved by Lance and sent to engineering. I sure hope they have enough actuators..

Approved by Lance???

Do they need to be approved?

I guess I must a special case then

Here is that bit from my RFQ

Mine was sent to engineering or whatever too.. cant wait for it to be implimented...

Request For Quote: 115188 added successfully

woohoo, floodguard here i come. i really need this as i usually tend to make MAC users mad so this will be very nice. thank you SM

SPECIAL CASE!!! YOU MUST BE SPECIAL (ABOVE NORMAL, SUPERIOR, OR NOT HUMAN) SPAMMER!!!!

I requested FG, lets see how long before it's approved, implemented, and working. Timer started!!!

Yeah, haa haa. It is not easy to get where I am here I spent a lot of time spamming this forum

Incidentally, anyone got their flood guard installed yet ?

Nope, been waiting more than a day now.

I'm still waiting...

I guess Lance has not approve my request

PS: Anyone with less than 1200 post must be a novice SPAMMER (Eddy2099)

Haa haa. I am a spammer in training. I can tell you that it sure is a lot of hardwork

Geee, don't working about Lance approving your requests. Just take it this way, you are not on the 'parole' list.. Your actions and requests do not need to be monitored ;P

This one feature is probably going to get me to switch to SM. You guys are doing a great job =)

I do have a question though. Is the FloodGuard system 100% automated? I read on their site that it can either be automated or "semi-automated" (IE- Techs are just altered of the attack). I ask this because my server is sometimes attacked *extremely* briefly (like for 5-10 seconds) which is enough to be highly annoying. Is the FloodGuard system fast enough to stop such attacks?

The last time I did asked tech, I was told it is automated. I am sure it will be madness if they have to run around over several thousand servers. For what they are charging, it is better if it is automated, at least we can have tech for some other more important stuffs.