A data transfer method and system includes at least one switch device (102) configured, in use, to transfer data, directly or indirectly, between a plurality of computing devices (104). The at least one switch device is configured to provide a plurality of Virtual Local Area Networks (VLAN), each said VLAN being configured as a Virtual Channel (VC) by receiving data from a said computing device designated as a sole source of data over the VC. The VC data is transmitted from the sole source computing device as Ethernet frames (200) tagged with a VLAN tag (202). The VCs are routed through the at least one switch device according to a VLAN Id field of the VLAN tag of a said frame, with fixed and pre-determined routing of the frame being determined by configuration of the at least one switch device.