Patent ID: 7639684

Claim:
An Ethernet switch for directing data packets to and from a plurality of Ethernet ports, the switch comprising: a first buffer configured to receive unicast packets and multicast packets, the first buffer having control logic that gives priority to the multicast packets over the unicast packets; a second buffer configured to receive packets from the first buffer and broadcast packets, the second buffer having control logic that gives priority to the broadcast packets over packets from the first buffer; a third buffer configured to receive packets from the second buffer and an address of the packets; a source removal block configured to remove a part of the packets that relates to a source port; a status check block configured to determine a port bridge status and a link status; an address lookup table; and a control block, wherein the switch is arranged: to forward each data packet incoming from one of the ports to a correct port as determined by the address lookup table if the control block is set to a first logic state, and to forward each data packet incoming from one of the ports to a processor if the control block is set to a second logic state, the second logic state different from the first logic state, wherein the processor is arranged to forward each data packet to a correct destination as determined by content of the data packet.