Abstract:
A method for routing an information packet towards an output port of a telecommunication router comprising N output ports, said router receiving incoming packets comprising a destination address defined by four address elements. The method successively comprises: looking up a first-level table from said first address element of said information packet; looking up a second-level table from said first and second address elements of said packet; searching, with linear or dichotomizing search, a third-level table allowing a third level of search, from said third address element of said packet; searching, with linear or dichotomizing search, a fourth-level table from said fourth address element of said packet. In this way the size of the routing table can be reduced, while still allowing fast processing of incoming packets. The invention also provides a router allowing easy integration in a VLSI circuit.