A network device includes a first switch, a second switch, address resolution
logic
(ARL), and a CPU. The first and second switch having a groups of ports which are
a subset of the plurality of ports and are numbered by a different numbering schemes.
The CPU coupled to the first switch and the second switch and configured to control
the first switch, the second switch, and the ARL. A first link port of the first
group of ports is coupled to a second link port of the second group of ports. The
ARL is configured to perform address resolution based on the first and second numbering
schemes such that when the first network port a data packet received at the first
network port destined for the second network port is directly routed from the first
network port to the second network port.