Disclosed is method for generating a secret or key in a network (20). Here, the network (20) comprises at least one first and one second member (21, 22) and a transmission channel (30) between at least the first and the second members (21, 22). The first and second members (21, 22) can each give at least one first value and one second value to the transmission channel (30). The first member (21) and/or the second member (22) prompt a first member value sequence and/or second member value sequence to be transmitted, substantially synchronously in relation to one another, on the transmission channel (30). On the basis of information about the first member value sequence and/or the second member value sequence, and on the basis of an overlap value sequence resulting from the overlapping of the first member value sequence with the second member value sequence on the transmission channel (30), the first member (21) and/or the second member (22) generate a common secret or a common key.