The invention relates to a method for computer-aided
user assistance when creating a topology of a communication network (KN) for an industrial installation, wherein by means of a
user interface (UI) comprising a display (DI): a) predefined network sections (NA1, NA2, NA3) are graphically reproduced on the display (DI) in response to first user inputs at the
user interface (UI), wherein the first user inputs select, for each network section (NA1, NA2, NA3) to be reproduced, a network type (NT1, NT2, NT3) from a plurality of network types (NT1, NT2, NT3) and a network function (NF1, NF2, NF3) from a plurality of network functions (NF1, NF2, NF3), wherein a respective reproduced network section (NA1, NA2, NA3) corresponds to the selected network type (NT1, NT2, NT3) and has the selected network function (NF1, NF2, NF3), and contains devices (1, 2, …, 5) from predetermined device types and internal communication connections (6, 7, 8, 9) between the devices (1, 2,..., 5), wherein the devices (1, 2,..., 5) and the internal communication connections (6, 7, 8, 9) are graphically reproduced on the display (DI); b)
external communication connections (601, 701) between at least some of the reproduced network sections (NA1, NA2, NA3) are graphically reproduced on the display (DI) in response to second user inputs at the
user interface (UI), wherein the second user inputs define links between reproduced devices (1, 2,..., 5) of different network sections (NA1, NA2, NA3).