Communication device for a redundantly operable industrial communication network comprising - at least one first and one second transmitting and receiving unit (101, 102) each having an interface for a network connection of the industrial communication network, both transmitting and receiving units having an identical network address and an identical device identifier, - a signal processing unit which is connected to the first and second transmitting and receiving units and has a multiplexer unit for the parallel forwarding of messages to be transmitted to both transmitting units and a redundancy handling unit for processing messages received by both receiving units, the redundancy handling unit comprising a filter unit which is set up to detect received redundant messages, - a coupling element which is connected to the signal processing unit and is used to connect a singly linked network node or a redundancy-free subnetwork to the signal processing unit, characterized in that - the signal processing unit is connected to a plurality of first and second transmitting and receiving units (101, 102, 103, 104) via the coupling element, a first transmitting and receiving unit and a second transmitting and receiving unit assigned to the latter each having an identical network address and an identical device identifier, - the coupling element is assigned a control unit which is set up to operate virtual local networks, a virtual local network respectively being set up for each pair of connections assigned to a first transmitting and receiving unit and to a second transmitting and receiving unit assigned to the latter and for a connection assigned to the signal processing unit, - the signal processing unit is set up for the parallel forwarding of messages to be transmitted and for the detection of received redundant messages for all first and second transmitting and receiving units using an identifier of the respective virtual local network. - at least one first and one second transmitting and receiving unit (101, 102) each having an interface for a network connection of the industrial communication network, both transmitting and receiving units having an identical network address and an identical device identifier, - a signal processing unit which is connected to the first and second transmitting and receiving units and has a multiplexer unit for the parallel forwarding of messages to be transmitted to both transmitting units and a redundancy handling unit for processing messages received by both receiving units, the redundancy handling unit comprising a filter unit which is set up to detect received redundant messages, - a coupling element which is connected to the signal processing unit and is used to connect a singly linked network node or a redundancy-free subnetwork to the signal processing unit, - the signal processing unit is connected to a plurality of first and second transmitting and receiving units (101, 102, 103, 104) via the coupling element, a first transmitting and receiving unit and a second transmitting and receiving unit assigned to the latter each having an identical network address and an identical device identifier, - the coupling element is assigned a control unit which is set up to operate virtual local networks, a virtual local network respectively being set up for each pair of connections assigned to a first transmitting and receiving unit and to a second transmitting and receiving unit assigned to the latter and for a connection assigned to the signal processing unit, - the signal processing unit is set up for the parallel forwarding of messages to be transmitted and for the detection of received redundant messages for all first and second transmitting and receiving units using an identifier of the respective virtual local network.