Configuring Gratuitous ARP Packet Discarding

After gratuitous Address Resolution Protocol (ARP) packet discarding is configured, the device discards all received gratuitous ARP packets to prevent excessive CPU consumption.

Context

When a device is connected to a network for the first time, the device broadcasts gratuitous ARP packets to announce its existence and checks whether its IP address conflicts with any other device IP address in the broadcast domain. Any device can send gratuitous ARP packets and receive gratuitous ARP packets without authentication. As a result, a large number of gratuitous ARP packets can be generated, causing devices to be busy processing these packets. This process overloads the CPU and affects the processing of other services. To resolve this problem, you can enable gratuitous ARP packet discarding. After gratuitous ARP packet discarding is enabled, the device discards all received gratuitous ARP packets to prevent excessive CPU consumption.

Gratuitous ARP packet discarding can be enabled in the system view or in the interface view.
  • If the arp anti-attack gratuitous-arp drop command is enabled in the system view, the device discards gratuitous ARP packets received from all interfaces.

  • If the arp anti-attack gratuitous-arp drop command is enabled in the interface view, the device discards gratuitous ARP packets received from a specified interface.

Gratuitous ARP request discarding enabled in the system view is independent upon that enabled in the interface view.

Procedure

  • Configure gratuitous ARP packet discarding globally.
    1. Run system-view

      The system view is displayed.

    2. Run arp anti-attack gratuitous-arp drop

      Gratuitous ARP packet discarding is enabled globally.

    3. Run commit

      The configuration is committed.

  • Configure gratuitous ARP packet discarding for an interface.
    1. Run system-view

      The system view is displayed.

    2. Run interface interface-type interface-number

      The interface view is displayed.

    3. Run arp anti-attack gratuitous-arp drop

      Gratuitous ARP packet discarding is enabled for an interface.

    4. Run commit

      The configuration is committed.

Copyright © Huawei Technologies Co., Ltd.
Copyright © Huawei Technologies Co., Ltd.
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