# What is XDP.NETWORK

> XDP.NETWORK is the home of OpenShield-XDP kernel-level DDoS mitigation and PingLess WAF — products, agent, and console, explained in two minutes.
>
> Canonical: https://xdp.network/docs/getting-started/what-is-xdp-network · Updated 2026-08-09

XDP.NETWORK combines kernel-level DDoS mitigation for your own servers with a managed web
application firewall, all watched from one console. This page explains the pieces and how
they fit together so you can pick the right product.

## The products

**OpenShield-XDP** is a small agent you install on your own Linux server. It attaches an
eBPF program to the network driver (XDP) and drops attack traffic inside the NIC path,
before the kernel allocates a socket buffer — so floods are absorbed at line rate with
sub-millisecond overhead. **OpenShield-XDP Game** and **Game Pro** ship the same pipeline
with profiles tuned for UDP game and voice traffic.

**PingLess WAF** is a managed web application firewall that sits in front of your site at
the edge. Layer-7 attacks are absorbed upstream; you point DNS at it and nothing runs on
your server. **WAF Pro** adds per-route rate shaping, API schema protection, custom
rulesets, and a mitigation SLA.

| Product | Where it runs | Protects against | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| OpenShield-XDP | Your server (kernel XDP) | L3/L4 floods | One-time license |
| OpenShield-XDP Game / Pro | Your game/voice server (kernel XDP) | UDP floods, query abuse | One-time license |
| PingLess WAF / WAF Pro | Our edge (managed) | HTTP/L7 attacks, bots | Monthly |

## The console

The XDP.NETWORK console (this dashboard) is where you watch it work. Each OpenShield agent
exposes a small metrics API; the console polls it and renders live traffic, attack
forensics, bans, and geo analytics. PingLess WAF is configured upstream, so its console
pages focus on rules and status rather than a local agent.

Your API key never leaves the server side of the console: browsers only ever see proxied,
permission-checked responses.

## Where to go next

- New here? Follow the [Quickstart](/docs/getting-started/quickstart) — server protected in about ten minutes.
- Comparing Game tiers? See [Game vs Game Pro](/docs/openshield-xdp-game/game-vs-game-pro).
- Unsure what an XDP drop actually means? Read [How XDP filtering works](/docs/attack-mitigation/how-xdp-filtering-works).

## Next steps

- [Quickstart](/docs/getting-started/quickstart)
- [Glossary](/docs/getting-started/glossary)