Method for operating a wireless mesh network, comprising network nodes (21, 22, 30) spanning the wireless mesh network and comprising at least one fixed network connection node and a plurality of wireless nodes, wherein the fixed network connection node establishes an interface to a wired data network, in particular the internet, and converts into one another, receives, and transmits radio signals and wired data, wherein the wireless nodes receive and forward radio signals, wherein the wireless mesh network forms a number n 0 of wireless routes between two network nodes (21, 22, 30) in each case, wherein data is transmitted between the data network and at least one target node by means of the wireless mesh network via a number n 1 of active wireless routes and generates a combined data stream S 0, wherein the at least one target node requests a target node data stream Z 0, wherein the network nodes (21, 22, 30) are connected to a control entity for data transfer, wherein the control entity regularly requests input data relating to operating states of the network nodes (21, 22, 30) and of the target node data stream Z 0, and that the control entity selectively changes at least one of the operating states of the network nodes (21, 22, 30) and/or the wireless routes on the basis of the input data by dynamically adapting the wireless mesh network to the demand of the requested target node data stream Z 0, wherein the network nodes (21, 22, 30) regularly communicate via an appropriately configured communication channel, wherein a state of the control entity is transmitted to the individual network nodes via the communication channel, wherein an algorithm is implemented on the processors in the wireless nodes, which activates them automatically if the state of the control entity indicates an error or if communication with the control entity is completely lost. network nodes (21, 22, 30) spanning the wireless mesh network and comprising at least one fixed network connection node and a plurality of wireless nodes, wherein the fixed network connection node establishes an interface to a wired data network, in particular the internet, and converts into one another, receives, and transmits radio signals and wired data, wherein the wireless nodes receive and forward radio signals, wherein the wireless mesh network forms a number n 0 of wireless routes between two network nodes (21, 22, 30) in each case, wherein data is transmitted between the data network and at least one target node by means of the wireless mesh network via a number n 1 of active wireless routes and generates a combined data stream S 0, wherein the at least one target node requests a target node data stream Z 0, wherein the network nodes (21, 22, 30) are connected to a control entity for data transfer, wherein the control entity regularly requests input data relating to operating states of the network nodes (21, 22, 30) and of the target node data stream Z 0, and that the control entity selectively changes at least one of the operating states of the network nodes (21, 22, 30) and/or the wireless routes on the basis of the input data by dynamically adapting the wireless mesh network to the demand of the requested target node data stream Z 0, wherein the network nodes (21, 22, 30) regularly communicate via an appropriately configured communication channel, wherein a state of the control entity is transmitted to the individual network nodes via the communication channel, wherein an algorithm is implemented on the processors in the wireless nodes, which activates them automatically if the state of the control entity indicates an error or if communication with the control entity is completely lost.