code: public int getDistance(final NetworkNode networkNode) {
  
  		int steps = 0;
  		NetworkNode tmp = this;
  		while (tmp != null) {
  
  			final int distance = tmp.isPredecessorOrSelfOf(networkNode);
  			if (distance >= 0) {
  				return (steps + distance);
  			}
  
  			tmp = tmp.getParentNode();
  			++steps;
  		}
  
  		return Integer.MAX_VALUE;
  	}
docs: Determines the distance to the given network node. The distance is determined as the number of internal network
  nodes that must be traversed in order to send a packet from one node to the other plus one.
  
  @param networkNode
  the node to determine the distance for
  @return the distance to the given network node or <code>Integer.MAX_VALUE</code> if the given node is not part of
  this node's network topology