at least one receive interface configured to receive data packets from a respective data source;

a respective receive buffer configured to buffer the data packets received via the respective receive interface;

a transfer device configured to transfer the data packets from the respective receive buffer to a transmit buffer, the transmit buffer selected for the respective data packet from a plurality of existing transmit buffers; and

a respective transmit interface configured to transmit the data packets stored in the respective transmit buffer to a receiving device, wherein the transfer device is configured to transfer the respective data packet from the respective receive buffer into the selected transmit buffer only when an enable condition exists, the enable condition being based on a fill level of one of the transmit buffers other than the selected transmit buffer and a length of the data packet to be transferred to the selected transmit buffer,

wherein the fill level indicates a length of a remaining partial data packet or another data packet previously transferred into the one of the transmit buffers other than the selected transmit buffer, the partial data packet has not yet been transmitted via the transmit interface assigned to the one of the transmit buffers other than the selected transmit buffer, and

wherein the enable condition exists if the length of the data packet to be transferred to the selected transmit buffer attains or exceeds the length of the partial data packet or a sum of the length of the partial data packet and a predetermined offset value.