A network station for a data network for receiving external data and for transmitting device-internally prepared data has a repeater for transmitting an external data packet received at a data input to a data output, a first data preparation unit for transmitting an internal data packet generated from the prepared data via the data output, having a switching device for interrupting the data path between the data input and the data output, a control unit that is connected to the switching device in order, in a first operating mode, to block the transmission of the received external data packet via the data output if the internal data packet is currently being transmitted via the data output by the data preparation unit, and to permit the transmission of the received data packet by the repeater via the data output if no internal data packet is currently being transmitted via the first data preparation unit.