Leaseweb
Dutch hosting provider with four documented tiers of per-IP DDoS protection, from a free default to an in-line always-on device
Quick Overview
| Company | Leaseweb Netherlands B.V. |
|---|---|
| Category | DDoS Protection Services |
| Headquarters | Amsterdam, Netherlands |
| Founded | Not stated |
| EU Presence | Yes - Netherlands (EU) |
| Data Location | Leaseweb data centers, including Amsterdam |
| Open Source | No |
| GDPR Compliant | Yes |
| Self-Hosting | No |
| Main Features | Standard, Advanced, Customized and Always-on DDoS IP Protection, per-IP upgrade in the Customer Portal and API, detection profiles, null routing above threshold, layer 7 filtering in Always-on |
| Pricing | Standard included at no extra cost; Advanced for a small fee per IP (amount not stated); Customized and Always-on on request |
| Best For | Leaseweb server customers who want documented thresholds |
| Replaces | NETSCOUT Arbor, Cloudflare Magic Transit |
Detailed Review
Leaseweb's knowledge base is unusually specific about what its DDoS protection does. It lists four tiers with a volumetric threshold, a packet-rate threshold, a mitigation time and a support level for each, which is more than most hosting providers publish.
The Standard tier applies by default to products hosted in Leaseweb data centers. The Dutch contracting entity is Leaseweb Netherlands B.V. in Amsterdam, though Leaseweb works as a brand with several local sales entities, each with its own contract.
Four tiers in numbers
Standard has a 5 Gbps volumetric threshold and 1,500k pps, with 2 to 3 minutes to mitigate. Advanced doubles the volumetric threshold to 10 Gbps and adds reporting and three detection profiles. Customized goes above 40 Gbps and 20,000k pps with 24x7x365 engineer support.
Always-on uses an in-line detection and scrubbing device with n x 10 Gbps thresholds and a typical 45 to 90 seconds mitigation time.
Null routing is the catch
For Standard and Advanced, traffic above the scrubbing threshold leads to the IP address being null routed, which takes the target offline to protect the rest of the network. The article also says Standard cannot be disabled and scrubbing or null routing cannot be stopped while the IP is under attack.
That behaviour suits a hosting provider protecting its network, and is less suited to a service that must stay up under a large flood.
Which servers get which tier
Always-on is intended for servers in dedicated private racks and Single Tenant Private Cloud, with about 10 working days of delivery if equipment is in stock. Customized targets the same environments plus colocation and needs about 10 working days to set up.
Advanced is ordered per IP in the Customer Portal under Network, IP Management, and is not available for Floating IPs.
Limitations to Consider
Protection is tied to Leaseweb hosting, so it does not shield servers hosted elsewhere. The two lower tiers null route an IP above the threshold, layer 7 filtering exists only in the Always-on tier, and the price of Advanced is described as a small fee without an amount. For protection of arbitrary origins, use a dedicated service such as Myra Security or Gcore.
Who Should Use Leaseweb
Teams renting servers or colocation from Leaseweb who want to see thresholds and mitigation times in writing before choosing a tier.
Pros and Cons
Pros
- Four tiers with published Gbps and pps thresholds
- Standard tier included by default
- Always-on tier with in-line scrubbing and layer 7 filtering
- Per-IP upgrade through portal and API
- Dutch entity under EU law
Cons
- Standard and Advanced null route above threshold
- Layer 7 only in the Always-on tier
- Only protects Leaseweb-hosted systems
- Advanced fee amount not stated
Alternatives to Leaseweb
Other European ddos protection services worth comparing before you decide:
Myra Security
Germany · Munich vendor with BSI-qualified DDoS mitigation at layers 3 to 7
Link11
Germany · Frankfurt provider selling DDoS defence with an attack flat rate
Corero Network Security
United Kingdom · On-premises and hybrid DDoS appliances for ISPs and enterprises
Gcore
Luxembourg · Scrubbing network with pay-for-clean-traffic billing in dollars
See all European ddos protection services or compare them directly against NETSCOUT Arbor on our alternatives page.
Frequently Asked Questions
The Standard tier is the default at no extra cost for products hosted in Leaseweb data centers. Advanced costs a small fee per IP, and Customized and Always-on are quoted individually.
For Standard and Advanced, the IP address is null routed once traffic exceeds the scrubbing threshold, and the null route lifts automatically after the attack ends.
Only the Always-on tier, which uses an in-line detection and scrubbing device.