The present disclosure relates to a method for transmitting data packets from a transmitting device to a receiving device in a motor vehicle, the data packets being transmitted via a gateway device and, for this purpose, the gateway device receiving the data packets from the transmitting device and forwarding them to the receiving device. The invention provides that the data packets of the transmitting device are each addressed to an IP address and the gateway device in the data packets respectively replaces a first packet part, by which a connection layer of an Ethernet data connection is implemented, with a corresponding packet part of the bus protocol and, in a second packet part, by which a network layer with the IP address is implemented, retains the IP address and forwards the data packets with the IP address located in the second packet part to the receiving device.