A method of performing a reliable broadcast from a source device to a plurality of nodes, comprising: establishing, by a representative node of the plurality of nodes, a first wireless communication link with each of one or more non-representative nodes of the plurality of nodes; receiving, at the representative node from each of the one or more non-representative nodes over the corresponding first wireless communication link, information indicating an ability of the one or more non-representative nodes to sniff wireless communications; establishing, by the representative node, a second wireless communication link with the source device; configuring, by the representative node, the second wireless communication link based on the information received from the one or more non-representative nodes; sending, by the representative node, control information for the second wireless communication link to each of the one or more non-representative nodes over the corresponding first wireless communication link; receiving, at the representative node, communications from the source device over the second wireless communication link, wherein the one or more non-representative nodes receive the communications from the source device by sniffing the second wireless communication link based on the control information for the second wireless communication link; configuring, by the representative node, a receiver of the representative node to be representative of receivers of the one or more non-representative nodes by tuning a sensitivity of the receiver of the representative node to represent sensitivities of the one or more receivers of the non-representative nodes; and directing, by the representative node, the source device to adjust a transmitter power of the source device on the second wireless communication link based on the information received from the one or more non-representative nodes. establishing, by a representative node of the plurality of nodes, a first wireless communication link with each of one or more non-representative nodes of the plurality of nodes; receiving, at the representative node from each of the one or more non-representative nodes over the corresponding first wireless communication link, information indicating an ability of the one or more non-representative nodes to sniff wireless communications; establishing, by the representative node, a second wireless communication link with the source device; configuring, by the representative node, the second wireless communication link based on the information received from the one or more non-representative nodes; sending, by the representative node, control information for the second wireless communication link to each of the one or more non-representative nodes over the corresponding first wireless communication link; receiving, at the representative node, communications from the source device over the second wireless communication link, wherein the one or more non-representative nodes receive the communications from the source device by sniffing the second wireless communication link based on the control information for the second wireless communication link; configuring, by the representative node, a receiver of the representative node to be representative of receivers of the one or more non-representative nodes by tuning a sensitivity of the receiver of the representative node to represent sensitivities of the one or more receivers of the non-representative nodes; and directing, by the representative node, the source device to adjust a transmitter power of the source device on the second wireless communication link based on the information received from the one or more non-representative nodes.