Patent ID: 7463635

Claim:
A packet communication device for transmitting a packet, said packet having header information including address information, a port information, and a DS (Differentiated Services) value, comprising: a plurality of input lines; a plurality of output lines; a switching unit connected to said input lines and said output lines, said switching unit outputting said packet from an input line of said input lines to an output line of said output lines; and a control unit for switching a mode to apply to the packet among a first mode, a second mode, and a third mode based on the header information, said first mode being a mode that decides priority of the packet by at least one of the address information and the port information, said second mode being a mode that decides priority of the packet by the DS value, and said third mode being a mode that decides to rewrite the DS value, by at least one of the address information and the port information.