a method for testing a network setup with a plurality of computers , in particular controllers or microprocessors , the data of which is to be transmitted and , if appropriate , received over a data path and which is to be processed by a control , priority criteria being established for the competing transfer of the data on the data path . a method of testing the network setup is proposed in which data signals of the controllers or microprocessors are generated with a realistic frequency and are subjected to the priority criteria and in which it is determined after what time data of certain priority levels can be transferred over the data path .