In this illustration, we see three separate networks-a school network, Comcast's network, and Google's network-and the interactions between them required in a simple web page request.

The school's network is on the left side of the figure, and has been assigned the IP address 68.80.2.0/24. Comcast's network is to the right of the school network, and has been assigned the IP address of 68.80.0.0/13. Google's network is below Comcast's network, and has been assigned the IP address 64.233.160.0/19.

The interaction begins with Bob's laptop in the school network, which has been assigned the MAC address of 00:16:D3:23:68:8A and an IP address of 68.85.2.101. A blue arrow labeled "1-7" (corresponding to steps 1-7 on pages 501-2) extends back and forth from Bob's computer to a link-layer switch and then beyond the switch to a router within the school's network. The port on the router is assigned the MAC address 00:22:6B:45:1F:1B.

A new arrow, labeled 8-13, extends back and forth from Bob's computer, through the switch, and back to the router.

A third arrow, labeled 14-17, extends back and forth from Bob's computer, through the switch, through the router and into a router in Comcast's network. The arrow extends to a second router, which is connected to a server labeled "comcast.net DNS server," and which has been assigned the IP address 68.87.71.226.

A fourth arrow, labeled 18-24, extends back and forth from Bob's computer, through the switch, through the router in the school's network, through a router in Comcast's network, into a second router in the Comcast network, and into Google's network. The arrow goes through one router, through a second, and into a server labeled "www.googl.com" Web server," and which has been assigned the IP address 64.233.169.105.