This read-write INTEGER assigns a protected port to a numbered community, which allows it to still exchange Layer 2 traffic with other ports in the same community while remaining blocked from protected ports and different communities; a value of 0 removes any community association. An admin managing several protected ports that nonetheless need to talk to each other, such as a small group of trusted devices, uses matching community numbers to selectively punch a hole in the protected-port isolation for just that group. For example, an admin wanting two access ports serving devices that legitimately need to communicate directly, while still blocking them from the rest of the protected ports, would assign both the same non-zero community number.