A method for simultaneous data transmission and distance measurement along a communication medium between a first apparatus (18a, 18b) and at least one second apparatus (14a, 14b, 14c), wherein - the first apparatus (18a, 18b) and the at least one second apparatus (14a, 14b, 14c) each have a data transmission device and a control unit coupled to the data transmission device, with each control unit having a predetermined system clock; - (i) a first data packet is transmitted from the first apparatus (18a, 18b) to at least one second apparatus (14a, 14b, 14c) and a second data packet is transmitted from the second apparatus (14a, 14b, 14c) to the first apparatus (18a, 18b) or (ii) a first data packet is transmitted from at least one second apparatus (14a, 14b, 14c) to the first apparatus (18a, 18b) and a second data packet is transmitted from the first apparatus (18a, 18b) to the second apparatus (14a, 14b, 14c); - the distance between the first apparatus (18a, 18b) and the at least one second apparatus (14a, 14b, 14c) is determined using the transmitted data packets; and - the apparatus (14, 18) are connected by means of a communication medium, characterized in that the time offset of edges of at least one of the data packets from the respective system clock is measured a multiple of times; in that the determination of a determined offset comprises a statistical evaluation of a predetermined number of values of the measured offset of the edges of the data packet from the system clock; and in that the statistical evaluation comprises the combination of the predetermined number of values of the measured offset in a histogram, with the determination of the determined offset comprising the determination of the barycenter of the histogram. - the first apparatus (18a, 18b) and the at least one second apparatus (14a, 14b, 14c) each have a data transmission device and a control unit coupled to the data transmission device, with each control unit having a predetermined system clock; - (i) a first data packet is transmitted from the first apparatus (18a, 18b) to at least one second apparatus (14a, 14b, 14c) and a second data packet is transmitted from the second apparatus (14a, 14b, 14c) to the first apparatus (18a, 18b) or (ii) a first data packet is transmitted from at least one second apparatus (14a, 14b, 14c) to the first apparatus (18a, 18b) and a second data packet is transmitted from the first apparatus (18a, 18b) to the second apparatus (14a, 14b, 14c); - the distance between the first apparatus (18a, 18b) and the at least one second apparatus (14a, 14b, 14c) is determined using the transmitted data packets; and - the apparatus (14, 18) are connected by means of a communication medium, the time offset of edges of at least one of the data packets from the respective system clock is measured a multiple of times; in that the determination of a determined offset comprises a statistical evaluation of a predetermined number of values of the measured offset of the edges of the data packet from the system clock; and in that the statistical evaluation comprises the combination of the predetermined number of values of the measured offset in a histogram, with the determination of the determined offset comprising the determination of the barycenter of the histogram.