A portion of management traffic, carried via network traffic, and received and/or transmitted via a network controller, may be processed externally to the network controller, wherein management messaging may be carried via network packets, and one or more headers may added to enable transmission and/or reception via the network controller. Packet filters may be setup, in the network controller, via the management controller, to enable determining network packets that may carry the management traffic. The management controller may utilize commands to setup packet filers in the network controller, wherein matching criteria, in received network packets, and/or corresponding actions that may be performed in matching packets, may be specified. The matching criteria may comprise specifying one or more header types that may be utilized in the received network packets. The network controller may generate filter identifiers, which may be utilized, subsequently, via the management controller to delete the packet filters.