Method for data communication in a network having a plurality of network nodes , wherein the network nodes are arranged between the communication partners , - in which data packets (P1-P3) are to be transferred cyclically with sending frequencies between the communication partners over protected connections, - the data packets (P1-P3) originate from at least two different sending communication partners , - the sending frequencies of the at least two communication partners , with which they send data packets (P1-P3), differ from one another, - the sending frequencies are taken into account when finding a path for the transfer of the data packets (P1-P3) of at least one protected connection, - the sending frequencies are specified in the form of reduction ratios (RR) which are taken into account when finding a path, wherein the - reduction ratio specifies how often the cyclical data packets (P1-P3) are sent, wherein the time for the data communication is broken down into consecutive send clocks (SC) and those send clocks (SC), in which the data packets (P1-P3) are cyclically sent, are taken into account when finding a path, characterised in that a load on ports of at least those network nodes participating in protected connections, in the different send clocks (SC), are taken into account when finding a path and a database is maintained in which information is and/or will be stored about the load on the ports in a sending direction of at least those network nodes participating in protected connections, in the different send clocks (SC), wherein a tree is and/or will be calculated for each of the different send clocks (SC), wherein the trees do not contain any paths for which it applies that at least one port of at least one participating network node in a sending direction is loaded to a predetermined degree or completely in the send clocks (SC) belonging to the tree. - in which data packets (P1-P3) are to be transferred cyclically with sending frequencies between the communication partners over protected connections, - the data packets (P1-P3) originate from at least two different sending communication partners , - the sending frequencies of the at least two communication partners , with which they send data packets (P1-P3), differ from one another, - the sending frequencies are taken into account when finding a path for the transfer of the data packets (P1-P3) of at least one protected connection, - the sending frequencies are specified in the form of reduction ratios (RR) which are taken into account when finding a path, wherein the - reduction ratio specifies how often the cyclical data packets (P1-P3) are sent, wherein the time for the data communication is broken down into consecutive send clocks (SC) and those send clocks (SC), in which the data packets (P1-P3) are cyclically sent, are taken into account when finding a path, characterised in that a load on ports of at least those network nodes participating in protected connections, in the different send clocks (SC), are taken into account when finding a path and a database is maintained in which information is and/or will be stored about the load on the ports in a sending direction of at least those network nodes participating in protected connections, in the different send clocks (SC), <EOS>