A network device for processing data on a data network includes a port interface configured to receive a data packet from a data network and to send a processed data packet to an egress port of the plurality of ports, a packet evaluation module configured to parse the received data packet and modify the received data packet to form the processed data packet and a search engine configured to perform searches of lookup tables using parsed data packet values and to return search results to the packet evaluation module to assist in modifying the received data packet. At least one lookup table shares at least two different types of entries in that same at least one lookup table, where the search engine is configured to distinguish between the at least two different types of entries in that same at least one lookup table.