There is provided a frame transfer apparatus, which includes: a storage unit configured to store an address and a port in association with the address; a receiving unit configured to receive a frame; a switch unit configured to determine an output port based on a destination address of a received frame; and a transmitting unit configured to transmit the received frame, from the output port determined by the switch unit, wherein the switch unit includes a copying unit configured to copy the received frame when the destination address of the received frame has not been stored in the storage unit, and a rate control unit configured to control an output rate of a frame to be copied.