A component is disclosed having a network communication device that controls transmission of data in a data network between the component and another component, without a repeat transmission of time-critical data of the plurality of data packets being possible in a transmission cycle. The network communication device is configured to (i) tolerate a possible packet error in a data packet received in a preceding transmission cycle, (ii) signal to the other component in a following transmission cycle a presence or absence of a packet error, (iii) determine whether the other component has signaled a presence of a packet error in a data packet sent by the component in the preceding transmission cycle, and (iv) depending on whether the other component signaled the presence of a packet error, adjust a number of redundancy data items in a data packet to be sent in the following transmission cycle.