diff --git a/include/etl/byte_stream.h b/include/etl/byte_stream.h
index e4f3f713..8dfc06cc 100644
--- a/include/etl/byte_stream.h
+++ b/include/etl/byte_stream.h
@@ -188,6 +188,38 @@ namespace etl
       return success;
     }
 
+    //***************************************************************************
+    /// Write a range of T to the stream.
+    //***************************************************************************
+    template <typename T>
+    typename etl::enable_if<etl::is_integral<T>::value || etl::is_floating_point<T>::value, void>::type
+      write_unchecked(const T* start, size_t length)
+    {
+      while (length-- != 0U)
+      {
+        to_bytes(*start++);
+      }
+    }
+
+    //***************************************************************************
+    /// Write a range of T to the stream.
+    //***************************************************************************
+    template <typename T>
+    typename etl::enable_if<etl::is_integral<T>::value || etl::is_floating_point<T>::value, bool>::type
+      write(const T* start, size_t length)
+    {
+      bool success = false;
+
+      if (available<T>() >= length)
+      {
+        write_unchecked(start, length);
+
+        success = true;
+      }
+
+      return success;
+    }
+
     //***************************************************************************
     /// Sets the index back to the position in the stream. Default = 0.
     //***************************************************************************
@@ -290,6 +322,10 @@ namespace etl
     template <typename T>
     size_t available() const
     {
+      size_t cap = capacity();
+      size_t size_b = size_bytes();
+      size_t size_of_T = sizeof(T);
+
       return (capacity() - size_bytes()) / sizeof(T);
     }
 
@@ -628,7 +664,10 @@ namespace etl
     template <typename T>
     size_t available() const
     {
-      return (length - etl::distance(pdata, reinterpret_cast<const char* const>(pcurrent))) / sizeof(T);
+      size_t used = etl::distance(pdata, reinterpret_cast<const char* const>(pcurrent));
+      size_t size_of_T = sizeof(T);
+
+      return (length - used) / sizeof(T);
     }
 
   private:
@@ -680,6 +719,7 @@ namespace etl
 
   //***************************************************************************
   /// Default implementation of the write function.
+  /// For integral and floating point types only.
   /// Overload this to support custom types.
   //***************************************************************************
   template <typename T>
@@ -689,8 +729,7 @@ namespace etl
   }
 
   //***************************************************************************
-  /// Default implementation of the write function.
-  /// Overload this to support custom types.
+  /// Implementation of the write function.
   //***************************************************************************
   template <typename T>
   bool write(etl::byte_stream_writer& stream, const T& value)
@@ -698,85 +737,25 @@ namespace etl
     return stream.write(value);
   }
 
-  //***************************************************************************
-  /// Default implementation of the write function.
-  /// Overload this to support custom types.
-  //***************************************************************************
-  template <typename T>
-  void write_unchecked(etl::byte_stream_writer& stream, const etl::span<T>& range)
-  {
-    return stream.write_unchecked(range);
-  }
-
-  //***************************************************************************
-  /// Default implementation of the write function.
-  /// Overload this to support custom types.
-  //***************************************************************************
-  template <typename T>
-  bool write(etl::byte_stream_writer& stream, const etl::span<T>& range)
-  {
-    return stream.write(range);
-  }
-
   //***************************************************************************
   /// Default implementation of the read function.
+  /// For integral and floating point types only.
   /// Overload this to support custom types.
   //***************************************************************************
   template <typename T>
-  T read_unchecked(etl::byte_stream_reader& stream)
+  T  read_unchecked(etl::byte_stream_reader& stream)
   {
     return stream.read_unchecked<T>();
   }
 
   //***************************************************************************
-  /// Default implementation of the read function.
-  /// Overload this to support custom types.
+  /// Implementation of the read function.
   //***************************************************************************
   template <typename T>
   etl::optional<T> read(etl::byte_stream_reader& stream)
   {
     return stream.read<T>();
   }
-
-  //***************************************************************************
-  /// Default implementation of the read function.
-  /// Overload this to support custom types.
-  //***************************************************************************
-  template <typename T>
-  etl::span<T> read_unchecked(etl::byte_stream_reader& stream, size_t n)
-  {
-    return stream.read_unchecked<T>(n);
-  }
-
-  //***************************************************************************
-  /// Default implementation of the read function.
-  /// Overload this to support custom types.
-  //***************************************************************************
-  template <typename T>
-  etl::optional<etl::span<T> > read(etl::byte_stream_reader& stream, size_t n)
-  {
-    return stream.read<T>(n);
-  }
-
-  //***************************************************************************
-  /// Default implementation of the read function.
-  /// Overload this to support custom types.
-  //***************************************************************************
-  template <typename T>
-  etl::span<T> read_unchecked(etl::byte_stream_reader& stream, etl::span<T> range)
-  {
-    return stream.read_unchecked<T>(range);
-  }
-
-  //***************************************************************************
-  /// Default implementation of the read function.
-  /// Overload this to support custom types.
-  //***************************************************************************
-  template <typename T>
-  etl::optional<etl::span<T> > read(etl::byte_stream_reader& stream, etl::span<T> range)
-  {
-    return stream.read<T>(range);
-  }
 }
 
 #endif
diff --git a/test/test_byte_stream.cpp b/test/test_byte_stream.cpp
index 50ec7241..25370b25 100644
--- a/test/test_byte_stream.cpp
+++ b/test/test_byte_stream.cpp
@@ -61,6 +61,15 @@ namespace
 
 namespace etl
 {
+  //***********************************
+  template <>
+  void write_unchecked<Object>(etl::byte_stream_writer& stream, const Object& object)
+  {
+    stream.write_unchecked(object.i);
+    stream.write_unchecked(object.d);
+    stream.write_unchecked(object.c);
+  }
+
   //***********************************
   template <>
   bool write<Object>(etl::byte_stream_writer& stream, const Object& object)
@@ -74,11 +83,15 @@ namespace etl
 
   //***********************************
   template <>
-  void write_unchecked<Object>(etl::byte_stream_writer& stream, const Object& object)
+  Object read_unchecked<Object>(etl::byte_stream_reader& stream)
   {
-    stream.write(object.i);
-    stream.write(object.d);
-    stream.write(object.c);
+    int16_t i = stream.read_unchecked<int16_t>();
+    double  d = stream.read_unchecked<double>();
+    uint8_t c = stream.read_unchecked<uint8_t>();
+
+    Object object{ i, d, c };
+
+    return object;
   }
 
   //***********************************
@@ -91,24 +104,7 @@ namespace etl
     etl::optional<double>  d = stream.read<double>();
     etl::optional<uint8_t> c = stream.read<uint8_t>();
 
-    Object object { i.value(), d.value(), c.value() };
-
-    result = object;
-
-    return result;
-  }
-
-  //***********************************
-  template <>
-  Object read_unchecked<Object>(etl::byte_stream_reader& stream)
-  {
-    Object result;
-
-    int16_t i = stream.read_unchecked<int16_t>();
-    double  d = stream.read_unchecked<double>();
-    uint8_t c = stream.read_unchecked<uint8_t>();
-
-    Object object{ i, d, c };
+    Object object{ i.value(), d.value(), c.value() };
 
     result = object;
 
diff --git a/test/vs2019/etl.vcxproj b/test/vs2019/etl.vcxproj
index 2332fa6b..32f2956d 100644
--- a/test/vs2019/etl.vcxproj
+++ b/test/vs2019/etl.vcxproj
@@ -8356,6 +8356,7 @@
     <ClCompile Include="..\test_utility.cpp" />
     <ClCompile Include="..\test_variance.cpp" />
     <ClCompile Include="..\test_variant_legacy.cpp" />
+    <ClCompile Include="..\test_variant_pool_external_buffer.cpp" />
     <ClCompile Include="..\test_variant_variadic.cpp" />
     <ClCompile Include="..\test_variant_pool.cpp" />
     <ClCompile Include="..\test_vector.cpp" />
diff --git a/test/vs2019/etl.vcxproj.filters b/test/vs2019/etl.vcxproj.filters
index c34db278..f78b013e 100644
--- a/test/vs2019/etl.vcxproj.filters
+++ b/test/vs2019/etl.vcxproj.filters
@@ -3035,6 +3035,9 @@
     <ClCompile Include="..\test_multi_span.cpp">
       <Filter>Source Files</Filter>
     </ClCompile>
+    <ClCompile Include="..\test_variant_pool_external_buffer.cpp">
+      <Filter>Source Files</Filter>
+    </ClCompile>
   </ItemGroup>
   <ItemGroup>
     <None Include="..\..\library.properties">