A device for enabling a plurality of monitoring functions to be performed on data traffic traversing through a network, said device comprising: a power module for providing power to circuitry of said device; a processor module for providing processing capability to said device; a first set of network ports (212A-212L) for receiving and transmitting data traffic; a second set of network ports (214A-214L) separate from the first set of network ports (212A-212L) for receiving and transmitting data traffic; a first switch chip capable of directing traffic through the device, the first switch chip coupled to said first set of network ports (212A-212L) via a first set of connectors and a first set of physical layer interfaces; a second switch chip capable of directing traffic through the device, the second switch chip coupled to said second set of network ports (214A-214L) via a second set of connectors and a second set of physical layer interfaces and coupled to said first switch chip via a third set of connectors; a set of monitor ports (226A-226J) coupled with said first switch chip; wherein the first switch chip is configured to: receiving data packets from the first set of network ports (212A-212L) and from the second set of network ports (214A and 214L) via the second switch chip, determining whether monitoring functions need to be performed, and if said monitoring function need to be performed, performing, by said first switch chip a monitoring function on said data packets, wherein the monitoring function includes regenerating said data packets, once said data packets have been regenerated, checking, by said first switch chip, if another monitoring function needs to be performed on said data packets, if another monitoring function needs to be performed on said data packets, performing the other monitoring function before forwarding the data packets to one of the monitor ports (226A-226J), once all of the monitoring functions have been performed, forwarding the data packets to designated ports. a power module for providing power to circuitry of said device; a processor module for providing processing capability to said device; a first set of network ports (212A-212L) for receiving and transmitting data traffic; a second set of network ports (214A-214L) separate from the first set of network ports (212A-212L) for receiving and transmitting data traffic; a first switch chip capable of directing traffic through the device, the first switch chip coupled to said first set of network ports (212A-212L) via a first set of connectors and a first set of physical layer interfaces; a second switch chip capable of directing traffic through the device, the second switch chip coupled to said second set of network ports (214A-214L) via a second set of connectors and a second set of physical layer interfaces and coupled to said first switch chip via a third set of connectors; a set of monitor ports (226A-226J) coupled with said first switch chip; receiving data packets from the first set of network ports (212A-212L) and from the second set of network ports (214A and 214L) via the second switch chip, determining whether monitoring functions need to be performed, and if said monitoring function need to be performed, performing, by said first switch chip a monitoring function on said data packets, wherein the monitoring function includes regenerating said data packets, once said data packets have been regenerated, checking, by said first switch chip, if another monitoring function needs to be performed on said data packets, if another monitoring function needs to be performed on said data packets, performing the other monitoring function before forwarding the data packets to one of the monitor ports (226A-226J), once all of the monitoring functions have been performed, forwarding the data packets to designated ports.