A network device, the network device operable to be deployed in a network to receive packets of different flows, the network device to detect large flows of packets, the network device comprising: at least one card to receive the packets of the different flows from the network; and a large flow detection module including: a serial multiple-stage filter module including a plurality of filter modules coupled together in series, the plurality of filter modules including a lead filter module (114-L) at a start of the series and a tail filter module (114-T) at an end of the series, each of the filter modules including a plurality of counters, the serial multiple-stage filter module to serially increment the counters of the filter modules to reflect the packets of the different flows, in which the serial multiple-stage filter module is to increment counters that correspond to packets of flows of subsequent filter modules in the series only after all counters that correspond to the packets of the flows of all prior filter modules in the series have been incremented serially up to corresponding maximum values, and in which the serial multiple-stage filter module is to detect flows of packets that correspond to counters (116-T) of the tail filter module (114-T) that have been incremented up to corresponding maximum values as the large flows of packets; the device being characterized by a lead filter removal module coupled with the serial multiple-stage filter module, the lead filter removal module to remove the lead filter module (114-L) from the start of the series. at least one card to receive the packets of the different flows from the network; and a large flow detection module including: a serial multiple-stage filter module including a plurality of filter modules coupled together in series, the plurality of filter modules including a lead filter module (114-L) at a start of the series and a tail filter module (114-T) at an end of the series, each of the filter modules including a plurality of counters, the serial multiple-stage filter module to serially increment the counters of the filter modules to reflect the packets of the different flows, in which the serial multiple-stage filter module is to increment counters that correspond to packets of flows of subsequent filter modules in the series only after all counters that correspond to the packets of the flows of all prior filter modules in the series have been incremented serially up to corresponding maximum values, and in which the serial multiple-stage filter module is to detect flows of packets that correspond to counters (116-T) of the tail filter module (114-T) that have been incremented up to corresponding maximum values as the large flows of packets; the device being characterized by a lead filter removal module coupled with the serial multiple-stage filter module, the lead filter removal module to remove the lead filter module (114-L) from the start of the series. a serial multiple-stage filter module including a plurality of filter modules coupled together in series, the plurality of filter modules including a lead filter module (114-L) at a start of the series and a tail filter module (114-T) at an end of the series, each of the filter modules including a plurality of counters, the serial multiple-stage filter module to serially increment the counters of the filter modules to reflect the packets of the different flows, in which the serial multiple-stage filter module is to increment counters that correspond to packets of flows of subsequent filter modules in the series only after all counters that correspond to the packets of the flows of all prior filter modules in the series have been incremented serially up to corresponding maximum values, and in which the serial multiple-stage filter module is to detect flows of packets that correspond to counters (116-T) of the tail filter module (114-T) that have been incremented up to corresponding maximum values as the large flows of packets; the device being characterized by a lead filter removal module coupled with the serial multiple-stage filter module, the lead filter removal module to remove the lead filter module (114-L) from the start of the series.