Abstract: Method for protecting against overload of a multipoint-to-point channel of a mobile communication network, said multipoint-to-point channel being provided by a radio access network for the mobile communication network in order to enable a plurality of mobile communication means to access the mobile communication network, wherein each mobile communication means can attach to the multipoint-to-point channel to provide processing requests of at least two different request types through the multipoint-to-point channel to the mobile communication network, in particular to a packet switching node of the mobile communication network, comprising the steps of: —receiving a processing request; —detecting the request type of the received request; —counting the number of mobile communication means presently attached to the multipoint-to point channel; —determining, based on the counted number of attached mobile communication means, a present load on the multipoint-to-point channel; and deciding whether to reject or to ac

Abstract: Method for protecting against overload of a packet switching network node of a communication network, said packet switching network node being provided with resources for processing of requests and with an overload protection task (OPT) for protection of said resources from overload, said resources comprising at least one input queue (Q1, . . . , Q4) for requests to be processed, a processor (CPU) for request processing and a memory (M) for storing data related to request processing, said resources for processing being limited, wherein said network node, in particular said overload protection task (OPT), performs the steps of: monitoring a load status of said resources, detecting, by means of the load status, any overload situation arising at the monitored resources, and determining, in the case of a detected overload situation, dependent on predetermined rules, an overload dissolving measure.