Patent ID: 8369344

Claim:
A network switch having a private domain, the network switch comprising: a memory to store a single common hardware-based forwarding table for all forwarding entries for all ports and for all types of virtual local area networks (VLANs) in the private domain, wherein the single common hardware-based forwarding table includes entries for privacy levels corresponding to each port in the private domain, and wherein the entries for the privacy levels in the single common hardware-based forwarding table indicate a type of virtual local area network (VLAN) from among a plurality of types of VLANs comprising: a network VLAN; an isolated subscriber VLAN; a non-isolated subscriber VLAN; and a VLAN not belonging to the private domain; and a network processor having a processing logic to compare a privacy level corresponding to a packet received at any one of the ports in the private domain of the network switch with a privacy level in the single common hardware-based forwarding table corresponding to a forwarding entry associated with the port that received the packet, wherein the network processor is operable to forward the packet or to deny the packet from being forwarded in the private domain of the network switch in response to the comparing.