The invention relates to a method for checking a network that consists of nodes and devices connected to said nodes. The inventive method comprises the following steps: detecting the network topology with at least the node number, node identity and circuitry of node inputs and node outputs; comparing the actual network topology with a permanently saved reference network topology for the network in order to detect any changes in number and/or kind of the devices connected to the network, in network topology and/or in the nodes at which a modification can be detected. In a preferred embodiment, the reference topology can be restored by deactivating the nodes, node outputs and/or devices at the node outputs as far as they are not provided for in the reference network topology. The respective preferred network is a standard IEEE 1394 network.