Patent ID: 6990106

Claim:
A method for VLAN packet classification, comprising: receiving an inbound packet; detennining whether the inbound packet includes VLAN ID; if the determination ion is made that the inbound packet includes VLAN ID; retrieving the classification mode type from a mode register; determining the classification mode type; if the determination is made that the classification mode type is a first classification mode, determining if the VLAN ID is valid, and if the VLAN ID is valid, transmitting the packet to a switching controller; and classifying the packet to a VLAN associated with the VLAN ID associated with the port; if the determination is made that the classification mode type is a second classification mode, transmitting the packet to the switching controller, retrieving a VLAN ID associated with the port, classifying the packet to a VLAN associated with the VLAN ID associated with the port; and if the determination is made that the classification mode type is a third classification mode, retrieving a protocol type associated with the packet, and determining if the protocol type is supported, and if the determination is made that the protocol type is supported, transmitting the packet to the switching controller, classifying the packet to a VLAN based on the protocol VLAN ID.