In some embodiments, various selection methods can be applied by switch modules of different stages within the switch fabric 700 to select a switch module of a subsequent stage or an edge device connected to the switch fabric 700 to send data cells. For example, switch modules 712 of the first stage, switch modules 713 of the second stage, and switch modules 714 of the third stage can apply the random selection method described with respect to FIGS. 3-5 to select an egress port to send data cells to a switch module of a subsequent stage; switch modules 715 of the fourth stage can apply a hash function method, as described with respect to FIG. 2, to select an egress port to send data cells to a switch module 716 of the fifth stage; and switch modules 716 of the fifth stage can apply a round robin selection method, as described with respect to FIG. 2 and FIG. 6, to select an egress port to send data cells to an edge device connected to the switch fabric 700.