An architecture, system and method are provided for efficiently transferring packets of data across a communication network. The communication network is structured such that there are hierarchical levels of high speed switches existing throughout the network. Distributed routing of packets is achieved by comparing identification numbers of only select switches with the destination address on a field-by-field basis. Not all fields need be compared at all switches. Once routing is achieved within the structured network, transfer to a destination termination device occurs through a single look-up table only when departing the network if multiple termination devices are present at that exit node. The routing operation between termination devices can therefore be achieved using a single mapping operation (if more than one termination device must be selected) and is backward compatible with devices external to the network and protocols used by those devices. An additional protocol layer specific to the structure is wrapped onto the incoming packet protocol using a series of read cycles to a memory which temporarily receives the incoming protocol. The sequence of reads can be quickly achieved without using conventional packet processors and the delayed access times normally attributed to those processors. Each switch thereby serves as a traffic manager, having registers that are configured so as to allow the traffic manager to direct packets of data from an input port to an output port in the quickest, most efficient manner without having to decode the entire destination address or requiring time-consumptive routing tables.