A repeater system (230,330) that mediates traffic between a network transceiver (213,302) and a user transceiver (214, 324) in a wireless communication system, the repeater system comprising: a network unit (502, 602) that maintains a network link with the network transceiver; a user unit (504, 702) that maintains a user link with the user transceiver, the user unit including user unit antennas (704,706,708,710,734,736) and a calibration signal receiver unit; a controller unit that is configured to control the operation of the network unit (502,602) and to set an operating bandwidth; a two-way communication pathway between the network unit (502, 602) and the user unit (504, 702) 10 adapted to communicate signals between the network transceiver (213, 302) and the user transceiver (214, 324) in autonomous repeater hops between the network transceiver (213, 302) and the network unit (502, 602), between the user transceiver (214,324) and the user unit (504, 702), and between the network unit (502, 602) and the user unit (504, 702) including downlink transmission from the network unit (502, 602) to the user unit (504, 702) and uplink transmission from the user unit (504, 702) to the network unit (502,602); a detection unit coupled to the network unit (502, 602) adapted to detect frame timing of downlink transmissions by detecting a preamble sequence of downlink transmissions and a detection unit coupled to the user unit (504, 702) adapted to detect frame timing of uplink transmissions by detecting a preamble sequence of uplink transmissions; and a calibration signal generator/transmitter unit coupled to a forward-link transmitter path of the user unit (504, 702), that generates a channel-sounding signal to establish complex channel characteristics between the user unit antennas and an input terminal to the calibration signal receiver unit, wherein the channel-sounding signal generated by the calibration signal generator/transmitter unit is transmitted via a complex-weight unit and the user unit antennas (704, 706, 708, 710, 734, 736) with a maximum transmit level that is below an expected signal level from the network transceiver (213, 302), wherein the controller is adapted to use a complex channel impulse response at an output of the calibration signal receiver unit to compute values of complex weights such that the output of the calibration signal receiver unit is reduced in magnitude; wherein the detection unit coupled to the network unlit (502, 602) is configured to enable the network unit (502, 602) to detect start of downlink, and the detection unit coupled to the user unit (504, 702) is configured to enable the user unit (504, 702) to detect start of uplink, and wherein the detection units are adapted to detect end of frame timing detected as a received signal level change. a network unit (502, 602) that maintains a network link with the network transceiver; a user unit (504, 702) that maintains a user link with the user transceiver, the user unit including user unit antennas (704,706,708,710,734,736) and a calibration signal receiver unit; a controller unit that is configured to control the operation of the network unit (502,602) and to set an operating bandwidth; a two-way communication pathway between the network unit (502, 602) and the user unit (504, 702) 10 adapted to communicate signals between the network transceiver (213, 302) and the user transceiver (214, 324) in autonomous repeater hops between the network transceiver (213, 302) and the network unit (502, 602), between the user transceiver (214,324) and the user unit (504, 702), and between the network unit (502, 602) and the user unit (504, 702) including downlink transmission from the network unit (502, 602) to the user unit (504, 702) and uplink transmission from the user unit (504, 702) to the network unit (502,602); a detection unit coupled to the network unit (502, 602) adapted to detect frame timing of downlink transmissions by detecting a preamble sequence of downlink transmissions and a detection unit coupled to the user unit (504, 702) adapted to detect frame timing of uplink transmissions by detecting a preamble sequence of uplink transmissions; and a calibration signal generator/transmitter unit coupled to a forward-link transmitter path of the user unit (504, 702), that generates a channel-sounding signal to establish complex channel characteristics between the user unit antennas and an input terminal to the calibration signal receiver unit, wherein the channel-sounding signal generated by the calibration signal generator/transmitter unit is transmitted via a complex-weight unit and the user unit antennas (704, 706, 708, 710, 734, 736) with a maximum transmit level that is below an expected signal level from the network transceiver (213, 302), wherein the controller is adapted to use a complex channel impulse response at an output of the calibration signal receiver unit to compute values of complex weights such that the output of the calibration signal receiver unit is reduced in magnitude; wherein the detection unit coupled to the network unlit (502, 602) is configured to enable the network unit (502, 602) to detect start of downlink, and the detection unit coupled to the user unit (504, 702) is configured to enable the user unit (504, 702) to detect start of uplink, and wherein the detection units are adapted to detect end of frame timing detected as a received signal level change.