Apparatus and method for sharing an external memory between multiple network switches

A non-blocking network switch arrangement of plural network switches provides a single, shared external memory for the network switches. Each network switch in the arrangement may write data frames to a respective predetermined portion of the external memory allocated to each switch. When accessing the external memory, each network switch may access any portion of the external memory to transfer data frames to other network stations. Thus, data frames are accessed by each switch in the arrangement directly from the single, shared external memory, thereby eliminating the potential for blocking due to transfer of data frames from the memory of one switch to the memory of another switch.