A switching device includes ingress ports, egress ports, and switching circuits that connect the ingress ports with the egress ports. The switching device segments data included in a packet received at an ingress port into a plurality of segments. The switching device transfers the plurality of segments to an egress port via a data path included in the switching circuits, according to a first mode of routing the packet in an absence of reading a descriptor corresponding to the packet. The switching device orders, using port logic associated with the egress port, the segments and provides sequence numbers associated with the ordered segments to port logic associated with the ingress port. The switching device validates the transfer of the plurality of segments according to the first mode based on verifying that the sequence numbers satisfy at least one criterion.