Grid routing apparatus and method

A network system comprising grid routers for routing packets,

• each of the grid routers comprising ingress circuits (IUs), mailbox circuits (MUs), and egress circuits (EUs) connected in a structure of succeeding layers, said layered structure being segregated such that circuits in a given layer are connected only to a corresponding subset of mailbox circuits in a succeeding layer, said corresponding subset of mailbox circuits being an incomplete subset of mailbox circuits in said succeeding layer, said segregation excluding packet flows not between said circuits in the given layer and said corresponding subset of mailbox circuits,
• wherein each of said grid routers further comprises a hashing circuit for using a hashing function to direct incoming packets through said layers, and wherein said hashing function is configured to reinforce said segregation by directing the packets arriving at a given circuit in one layer to the circuits only of the corresponding subset in said succeeding layer, to which the circuits of said corresponding subset, flow is allowed by said segregation.