A network device includes at least one first network port, at least one second network port, a MUX unit and a switching unit. The MUX unit is connected to the at least one first network port. The MUX unit includes a trunk circuit and an output. The trunk circuit is configured to aggregate data packets received at the at least one first port into a trunk group and to output trunked data packets to the output. The switching unit is connected to the output of the MUX unit and to the at least one second network port. The switching unit is configured to switch the trunked data packets to the at least one second network port.