Abstract: There is provided a message service device for a switching network. The device provides an input port for receiving messages from a number of network connections. The device includes a storage device for storing a number of predetermined priority levels pertaining to the received messages, one of the priority levels being assigned to each of the network connections. A number of first-in first-out message queues are provided for storing the received messages. The queues respectively correspond to each of the predetermined priority levels. Each queue is associated with at least one of a number of predetermined congestion thresholds whereby a congestion severity status may be determined for each queue. The congestion severity status corresponds proportionally to the number of the congestion thresholds which have been exceeded by the queue. The message service device further provides a processor for determining the network connection associated with each of the received messages.