Method for detecting network subscribers in an automation network by means of query telegrams sent by a configuration subscriber , wherein the network subscribers in the automation network are connected via data lines , and the network subscribers comprise at least one protocol network subscriber which is designed to process a particular data transmission protocol, and the network subscribers comprise at least one network distributor , which has input/output ports (P0, P1, P2, P3, P4, P5, P6, P7), wherein, when a protocol network subscriber receives a query telegram via a data line , the protocol network subscriber enters an item of network subscriber information in the query telegram and sends the query telegram to a subsequent network subscriber via a further data line other than the receiving data line, or, if there is no subsequent network subscriber connected to a further data line , the protocol network subscriber sends the query telegram back to the configuration subscriber via the receiving data line , wherein, if a network distributor receives the query telegram at a first input/output port (P0) via the data line , the network distributor enters an item of port information about further input/output ports (P1, P2, P3, P4, P6, P7) of the network distributor , to which ports further data lines are connected, in the query telegram and sends the query telegram back to the configuration subscriber via the receiving data line , and wherein, when the configuration subscriber receives the query telegram from the network distributor via the data line , the configuration subscriber generates, on the basis of the item of port information, further query telegrams each containing an item of routing information and sends said further query telegrams to the network distributor via the data line , and the network distributor outputs the further query telegrams at the respective further input/output port (P1, P2, P3, P4, P6, P7) associated with the respective item of routing information in order to detect network subscribers that are connected to the respective further input/output ports (P1, P2, P3, P4, P6, P7) of the network distributor via the further data lines . wherein, when a protocol network subscriber receives a query telegram via a data line , the protocol network subscriber enters an item of network subscriber information in the query telegram and sends the query telegram to a subsequent network subscriber via a further data line other than the receiving data line, or, if there is no subsequent network subscriber connected to a further data line , the protocol network subscriber sends the query telegram back to the configuration subscriber via the receiving data line , wherein, if a network distributor receives the query telegram at a first input/output port (P0) via the data line , the network distributor enters an item of port information about further input/output ports (P1, P2, P3, P4, P6, P7) of the network distributor , to which ports further data lines are connected, in the query telegram and sends the query telegram back to the configuration subscriber via the receiving data line , and wherein, when the configuration subscriber receives the query telegram from the network distributor via the data line , the configuration subscriber generates, on the basis of the item of port information, further query telegrams each containing an item of routing information and sends said further query telegrams to the network distributor via the data line , and the network distributor outputs the further query telegrams at the respective further input/output port (P1, P2, P3, P4, P6, P7) associated with the respective item of routing information in order to detect network subscribers that are connected to the respective further input/output ports (P1, P2, P3, P4, P6, P7) of the network distributor via the further data lines . <EOS>