A network interface device for connection between a network and a data processing system, the network interface device comprising: a plurality of ports for receiving data packets directed to the data processing system. An interface services the ports in a predetermined order and writes the data packets to buffers of a common memory. Each buffer is part of one of a set of linked logical sequence of buffers forming virtual queues in the common memory. Each virtual queue is associated with a port. A memory manager selects buffers of the common memory so as to cause the interface to populate the plurality of virtual queues with data packets.