Connection Limits
Learning Focus
By the end of this lesson you will know how to configure connection-level DDoS protection in OpenLiteSpeed.
What Connection Limits Do
Connection limits cap the number of concurrent connections from a single IP address. This prevents a single attacker from exhausting server resources.
Key Settings
| Setting | Purpose | Recommended |
|---|---|---|
| Max Connections Per Client IP | Concurrent connections per IP | 10-50 |
| Soft Limit | Starts throttling at this level | 10 |
| Hard Limit | Drops new connections at this level | 50 |
Configuring in WebAdmin
- Server Configuration → Security → Per Client Throttling
- Set Connection Soft Limit and Connection Hard Limit
- Save and Graceful Restart
info
Be careful with very low limits. Legitimate users behind NAT gateways or corporate proxies may generate multiple simultaneous connections from a single IP.
Key Takeaways
- Connection limits prevent single-IP floods from exhausting server capacity.
- Set limits high enough to allow legitimate multi-connection browsing.
- Combine with request limits and bandwidth throttling for layered protection.
What's Next
- Continue to Bandwidth Throttling for transfer rate controls.