1. A method for retrieving via a communication channel, buffer descriptors from a host memory for use by a peripheral device, comprising the steps of: providing a first descriptor cache that is accessible to the peripheral device without communication via the communication channel; establishing a first starting buffer descriptor read address for a first host memory descriptor queue from which to initiate retrieval of a first set of at least one buffer descriptor; retrieving the first set of buffer descriptors by DMA via the communication channel; and writing the buffer descriptors retrieved in the step of retrieving, into the first descriptor cache, at respective descriptor cache buffer descriptor addresses derived from the first starting buffer descriptor read address.