A method for addressing devices in a local network group, the devices being operable to control an industrial process or machine, and the local network group including an industrial controller, wherein the industrial controller and the devices are connected in a linear topology or a ring topology, the method comprising: providing a device configuration to the industrial controller, the device configuration including: predetermined relative positions for devices in a local network group; and predetermined group device identifiers corresponding to the predetermined relative positions, respectively, each predetermined device identifier providing an attribute for distinguishing a device from among a plurality of devices; providing a control program to the industrial controller, the control program being configured to control devices in a local network group (16a, 16b, 16c), the control program also being configured to reference the devices in the local network group using the device configuration; sending (102-106, 206) an addressing command message from one device to another among the devices of the local network group, the addressing command message being first sent to an initiator device being the first device relative to the other devices in the local network group, and then sent from one device to the other in the order of their relative positions in the local network group, the addressing command message comprising a network identifier, a group identifier and a group device identifier updateable by each of the devices to provide a relative position of each of the devices in the local network group; updating, by each given device of the devices, the received group device identifier to produce an updated group device identifier (124', 166) for the given device corresponding to the relative position of the given device among the devices of the local network group; obtaining, by each given device of the devices, an IP address based on the network identifier, the group identifier and the updated group device identifier of the given device; when all devices of the local network group have received the addressing command message and updated their respective group device identifiers, sending an addressing complete message through all each of the devices of the local network group, the addressing complete message comprising the updated group device identifier of each of the devices; comparing the predetermined group device identifiers from the device configuration to the updated group device identifiers from the addressing complete message, respectively, to determine a match; and upon successfully determining a match, executing the control program to control the devices in the local network group by using the IP addresses corresponding to the devices. providing a device configuration to the industrial controller, the device configuration including: predetermined relative positions for devices in a local network group; and predetermined group device identifiers corresponding to the predetermined relative positions, respectively, each predetermined device identifier providing an attribute for distinguishing a device from among a plurality of devices; predetermined relative positions for devices in a local network group; and predetermined group device identifiers corresponding to the predetermined relative positions, respectively, each predetermined device identifier providing an attribute for distinguishing a device from among a plurality of devices; providing a control program to the industrial controller, the control program being configured to control devices in a local network group (16a, 16b, 16c), the control program also being configured to reference the devices in the local network group using the device configuration; sending (102-106, 206) an addressing command message from one device to another among the devices of the local network group, the addressing command message being first sent to an initiator device being the first device relative to the other devices in the local network group, and then sent from one device to the other in the order of their relative positions in the local network group, the addressing command message comprising a network identifier, a group identifier and a group device identifier updateable by each of the devices to provide a relative position of each of the devices in the local network group; updating, by each given device of the devices, the received group device identifier to produce an updated group device identifier (124', 166) for the given device corresponding to the relative position of the given device among the devices of the local network group; obtaining, by each given device of the devices, an IP address based on the network identifier, the group identifier and the updated group device identifier of the given device; when all devices of the local network group have received the addressing command message and updated their respective group device identifiers, sending an addressing complete message through all each of the devices of the local network group, the addressing complete message comprising the updated group device identifier of each of the devices; comparing the predetermined group device identifiers from the device configuration to the updated group device identifiers from the addressing complete message, respectively, to determine a match; and upon successfully determining a match, executing the control program to control the devices in the local network group by using the IP addresses corresponding to the devices.