A method includes a step of (A) determining which of multiple network interfaces indicates readiness to transmit a data element to a network and which of the multiple network interfaces indicates receipt of a data element from the network. The method further includes a step of (B) running, for each network interface indicating readiness to transmit a data element to the network, a transmit interrupt handler to load that network interface with a data element for transmission if such a data element is available for transmission within the data communications device, in response to giving higher priority to handling transmit interrupts relative to handling receive interrupts. The method further includes a step of (C) after step B, running, for at least one network interface which indicates receipt of a data element from the network, a receive interrupt handler to process that data element.