Abstract: The invention relates to a method for determining a communication network for collecting information in the surroundings of a motor vehicle, in which a request message is transmitted, and the request message is received by a first outside vehicle, and a first response message is transmitted by the outside vehicle to the motor vehicle, wherein the request message of each first outside vehicle is transmitted to at least one respective second outside vehicle, wherein a second response message is transmitted by means of the respective second outside vehicle to the first outside vehicle and from there is transmitted to the motor vehicle, wherein a current position of the respective outside vehicle is transmitted with the response messages, and wherein, depending on the response messages, a network plan of the communication network is determined by the motor vehicle, and on the basis of the network plan, a unique transmission path to one of the outside vehicles is established for another request message of the moto