Patent ID: 7035224

Claim:
A network comprising a plurality of network nodes and one star node, which star node is provided for the direct coupling of at least two network nodes, and includes a plurality of star interfaces which are assigned to at least one network node and which include each an activity detector for detecting activities in the message signal coming from the assigned network node and for transferring the message signal from the assigned network node to the other star interfaces or from another star interface to the assigned network node in dependence on at least one activity, the network characterized in that each star interface further includes a first and a second switching element, in that the first switching element in activated state passes a message from the assigned network node to the other star interfaces and the second switching element in active state passes a message from the other star interfaces to the assigned network node and in that the activity detector of a star interface activates the first switching element and deactivates the second switching element when a message occurs from the assigned network node and deactivates the first switching element and activates the second switching element when a message occurs from another network node.