Abstract: The invention relates to a method for operating a network of pipes, in particular a network of heating pipes, with several decentralised pumps, each pump being assigned to one heat exchanger. The invention is characterised in that the speed required to achieve the desired and/or stipulated mass flow in each heat exchanger is calculated for each decentralised pump by a central processing unit, taking into account the characteristics of the pipe network, and the speed regulating variable is transmitted to at least some of the decentralised pumps.