A wireless device includes at least one antenna, an RF interface, and processing circuitry coupled to the RF interface and indirectly to the at least one antenna. The wireless device identifies other wireless devices that service based upon transmission characteristics of wireless signals received from other wireless devices and/or relative positions of the other wireless devices with respect to itself. In a first operational period, the wireless device determines transmission characteristics of the other wireless devices. Then, during a second operational period, without further interaction with the other wireless devices, the wireless device determines communication link characteristics based simply upon transmission characteristics of the other wireless devices.