Arrangement for reading a prescribed location of a FIFO buffer in a network switch port

A method in a network switch port, the method comprising:

• determining whether a first in first-out (FIFO) buffer, configured for storing frame data of a received data packet, has stored a selected byte of the received data packet;
• and
• selectively generating a signal indicating availability of reading the selected byte of the received data packet within the FIFO buffer, based on the determination that the FIFO buffer has stored the selected byte;
• storing a layer 2 header and a layer 2 payload of the received data packet in a media access control (MAC) FIFO;
• and
• transferring the layer 2 payload from the MAC FIFO to the FIFO buffer;
• wherein determining step includes:
• counting a number of stored bytes of the layer 2 payload within the FIFO buffer;
• and
• comparing whether the number of stored bytes is greater than or equal to the selected byte relative to a start position of the layer 2 payload.

An integrated network switch having a plurality of network switch ports, each network switch port comprising:

• a media access control FIFO configured for storing frame data of a received layer 2 data packet, the received layer 2 data packet having a layer 2 header and a layer 2 payload;
• and
• a packet classifier module configured for evaluating selected data bytes of the layer 2 payload, the packet classifier module including:
• (1) buffer read logic configured for reading the selected data bytes based on determined reception by the network switch port, and
• (2) a second FIFO configured for storing the layer 2 payload, the buffer read logic selectively generating a first signal indicating availability of reading a corresponding one of the selected bytes from the second FIFO based on a common number of stored bytes within the second FIFO reaching the corresponding one selected byte;
• wherein the buffer read logic selectively generates a second signal indicating an unavailability of reading the corresponding one selected byte, based on detecting an end of the received data packet before the second FIFO buffer has stored the corresponding one selected byte.