An apparatus adapted to transmit and receive a packet between a network processor and a packet controller includes: the packet controller receiving an input packet from an input interface; a packet buffer storing and delivering the input packet the received input packet in response to a request from the network processor; a packet queue delivering information for the stored input packet from the packet controller to the network processor; and the network processor receiving a packet from the packet buffer and delivering the packet to an output interface using information for the input packet from the packet queue.