1. A media access controller for transferring digital data between a digital system and a digital network, said media access controller comprising: digital data reception means for receiving incoming digital data including corresponding data destination addresses from a digital network, and for transferring a first portion of said received incoming digital data to at least one of a plurality of data destination units within a digital system, and further for selectively transferring a second portion of said received incoming digital data to said at least one of said plurality of data destination units within said digital system; digital data transmission means for receiving outgoing digital data from said digital system and for transmitting said received outgoing digital data into said digital network; and off-line address filtering means for capturing said received data destination addresses, wherein said off-line address filtering means selectively inhibits said transferring of said second portion of said received incoming digital data to said at least one of said plurality of data destination units within said digital system in accordance with said captured data destination addresses after said first portion of said received incoming digital data has been transferred.