A host channel adapter includes a transport layer module, a link layer module, and buffer memory having memory portions configured for storage of transmit data packets output by the transport layer module for transmission by the link layer module on identified virtual lanes. The transport layer module is configured for identifying a virtual lane for each transmit data packet, and for storing the transmit data packet in the corresponding memory portion assigned to the corresponding identified virtual lane. Hence, the transmit data packets output by the transport layer module are stored in the memory portions based on their respective identified virtual lanes, where each memory portion stores the transmit data packets for the corresponding identified virtual lane. The link layer module retrieves the transmit data packets from a selected memory portion corresponding to a currently-serviced virtual lane based on a prescribed virtual lane arbitration. Hence, the link layer module can retrieve the transmit data packets for the currently-serviced virtual lane with minimal processing, based on accessing the corresponding memory portion.