> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://docs.preprod.world/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# About Gcore DDoS protection for dedicated servers

Gcore DDoS Protection is a network-level security service for Dedicated Servers. Two protection modes are available: Basic (free) and Advanced (paid).

## Protection modes

Basic Protection is included with all equipment by default. When a server is attacked, the system blocks its IP address so the attack cannot continue. The server is not damaged, but it becomes unavailable for several hours.

Advanced (paid) Protection uses TMS — Threat Mitigation System — to redirect and clean traffic during an attack. TMS detects the attack, filters out malicious data, and forwards only safe traffic to the server. An ACL (access control list) can be configured for TMS. Unlike Basic Protection, the IP address is not blocked during an attack, and the server remains available.

## Always-on protection

With always-on protection, traffic passes through the TMS at all times, even when there is no attack. The response to an attack is instant, and the server receives only clean traffic.

|                                                     | **Always-on (Advanced protection)**                                                                                                                                                                                                | **Basic protection**                                                            |
| --------------------------------------------------- | ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- | ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |
| **Payment**                                         | Paid                                                                                                                                                                                                                               | Free                                                                            |
| **How soon it recognizes an attack (maximum time)** | 5 seconds                                                                                                                                                                                                                          | 3 minutes                                                                       |
| **What attacks it protects from**                   | • Standard amplification attacks <br /> • Attacks from fake IP addresses <br /> • Attacks using flows or volumetric attacks (L3) <br /> • Attacks to establish a connection (L4) <br /> • Attacks at the application layer (L5-L7) | • Standard amplification attacks <br /> • Attacks from fake IP addresses        |
| **Protection mechanism**                            | 1. All traffic passes through TMS <br /> 2. When attacked, TMS immediately cleans up the traffic <br /> 3. TMS sends cleaned traffic to the server                                                                                 | 1. Attack is detected <br /> 2. The attacked IP is blocked for a while          |
| **What cases it is suitable for**                   | • Frequent attacks <br /> • Application layer (L7) attacks <br /> • The server hosts a critical business application                                                                                                               | • Rare attacks <br /> • The server does not host critical business applications |

## Billing

Advanced Protection is a paid service. The price depends on three factors:

* OSI layers to be protected. Two ranges are available: L3-L4 and L3-L7, the first option is cheaper.
* The bandwidth that will be used by TMS to send traffic to the server. Several options are available: 1 Mbps, 10 Mbps, 100 Mbps, 200 Mbps, 500 Mbps, 1 Gbps, 2 Gbps, 10 Gbps. The lower the bandwidth, the lower the plan price.
* The region where the server is located. Prices vary by location — contact [technical support](/hosting/contact-our-technical-support) for pricing in a specific data center.

Always-on protection is available at both L3-L4 and L3-L7 protection layers.