A method of communicating data traffic through a virtual switch (230, 330, 430) in a host operating system, OS, (112, 114, 116, 212) of a host device (102, 104, 106, 202), the method comprising: monitoring the data traffic flowing through the virtual switch between a network interface controller (234, 334, 434) of the host device and a plurality of virtual network interface controllers (226, 228, 254, 324, 350, 424, 450) in the host OS, the data traffic including at least virtual machine data traffic flowing to and from virtual machine processes (118, 120, 122, 124, 126, 128, 220, 222) on the host device and host data traffic flowing to and from host operating system processes (112, 114, 116, 252) on the host device; designating one or more data packets of the monitored data traffic as virtual machine data traffic based on an evaluation of a Media Access Controller, MAC, address of the one or more data packets of the monitored data traffic where the MAC address corresponds to a virtual machine virtual network interface controller (226, 228, 324, 424) of the plurality of virtual network interface controllers; designating further one or more data packets of the monitored data traffic as host data traffic based on an evaluation of the MAC address of the further one or more data packets of the monitored data traffic where the MAC address corresponds to a host virtual network interface controller (254, 350, 450) of the plurality of virtual network interface controllers; directing the virtual machine data traffic through a packet processor (236, 336, 436) included in the virtual switch as the virtual machine data traffic traverses the virtual switch; and directing the host data traffic to bypass the packet processor included in the virtual switch as the host data traffic traverses the virtual switch. monitoring the data traffic flowing through the virtual switch between a network interface controller (234, 334, 434) of the host device and a plurality of virtual network interface controllers (226, 228, 254, 324, 350, 424, 450) in the host OS, the data traffic including at least virtual machine data traffic flowing to and from virtual machine processes (118, 120, 122, 124, 126, 128, 220, 222) on the host device and host data traffic flowing to and from host operating system processes (112, 114, 116, 252) on the host device; designating one or more data packets of the monitored data traffic as virtual machine data traffic based on an evaluation of a Media Access Controller, MAC, address of the one or more data packets of the monitored data traffic where the MAC address corresponds to a virtual machine virtual network interface controller (226, 228, 324, 424) of the plurality of virtual network interface controllers; designating further one or more data packets of the monitored data traffic as host data traffic based on an evaluation of the MAC address of the further one or more data packets of the monitored data traffic where the MAC address corresponds to a host virtual network interface controller (254, 350, 450) of the plurality of virtual network interface controllers; directing the virtual machine data traffic through a packet processor (236, 336, 436) included in the virtual switch as the virtual machine data traffic traverses the virtual switch; and directing the host data traffic to bypass the packet processor included in the virtual switch as the host data traffic traverses the virtual switch.