A system comprising: multiple nodes (104a-104f, 106), each node comprising one or more 802.11 wireless radios configured to transmit and receive wireless signals; the nodes (104a-104f, 106) arranged in a hierarchical tree structure in which one or more nodes residing in one level of the tree structure are configured to communicate with one or more nodes residing in another level of the tree structure to propagate information in the tree structure; at least a first (104a, 104b) of the nodes (104a-104f, 106) configured to operate its associated one or more 802.11 wireless radios in an 802.11 access point mode and in an 802.11 station mode, the first node (104a, 104b) configured to relay data to and from one or more nodes (104c, 104d, 104e, 104f) in a lower level of the tree structure using the 802.11 access point mode, the first node (104a, 104b) further configured to transmit data to and receive data from one or more nodes in a higher level of the tree structure using the 802.11 station mode; wherein: the nodes (104a-104f, 106) are configured to communicate using a time division multiple access, TDMA, protocol; the nodes (104a-104f, 106) form multiple 802.11 basic service sets, BSSs; and the TDMA protocol comprises a repeating pattern of intervals, each interval comprising a sub-interval for each BSS, each sub-interval comprising multiple time slots for communications amongst nodes in the associated BSS. multiple nodes (104a-104f, 106), each node comprising one or more 802.11 wireless radios configured to transmit and receive wireless signals; the nodes (104a-104f, 106) arranged in a hierarchical tree structure in which one or more nodes residing in one level of the tree structure are configured to communicate with one or more nodes residing in another level of the tree structure to propagate information in the tree structure; at least a first (104a, 104b) of the nodes (104a-104f, 106) configured to operate its associated one or more 802.11 wireless radios in an 802.11 access point mode and in an 802.11 station mode, the first node (104a, 104b) configured to relay data to and from one or more nodes (104c, 104d, 104e, 104f) in a lower level of the tree structure using the 802.11 access point mode, the first node (104a, 104b) further configured to transmit data to and receive data from one or more nodes in a higher level of the tree structure using the 802.11 station mode; wherein: the nodes (104a-104f, 106) are configured to communicate using a time division multiple access, TDMA, protocol; the nodes (104a-104f, 106) form multiple 802.11 basic service sets, BSSs; and the TDMA protocol comprises a repeating pattern of intervals, each interval comprising a sub-interval for each BSS, each sub-interval comprising multiple time slots for communications amongst nodes in the associated BSS. the nodes (104a-104f, 106) are configured to communicate using a time division multiple access, TDMA, protocol; the nodes (104a-104f, 106) form multiple 802.11 basic service sets, BSSs; and the TDMA protocol comprises a repeating pattern of intervals, each interval comprising a sub-interval for each BSS, each sub-interval comprising multiple time slots for communications amongst nodes in the associated BSS.