A discovery method for determining a communication path from a source wireless device (WD-S) to a destination device in a wireless communication network, the method comprising: discovering, at the source wireless device (WD-S), wireless devices within communication range of the source wireless device (WD-S); determining, at the source wireless device (WD-S), for each discovered wireless device, one of: whether the discovered wireless device is the destination device and whether the discovered wireless device has wireless connectivity to a wireless base station, wherein each discovered wireless device is included in a list of discovered wireless devices, wherein said list of discovered wireless devices is prioritized, and wherein the prioritization of the list of discovered wireless devices is such that: the destination device is accorded highest priority if the destination device is discovered; the discovered wireless devices having connectivity to a wireless base station are accorded a next highest priority in order of signal strength when at least one discovered wireless device has wireless connectivity to a wireless base station; and the discovered wireless devices not having wireless connectivity to a wireless base station are accorded a next highest priority in order of signal strength, when at least one discovered wireless device lacking connectivity to a wireless base station is discovered; determining, at the source wireless device (WD-S), whether a session type for the communication path is an E911 session; and when the session type is an E911 session, then configuring the source wireless device (WD-S) to send an E911 connection request to a discovered wireless device for subsequent forwarding to an E911 service, wherein the E911 connection request includes a source service set identifier, S-SSID, a global positioning system, GPS, location, a source wireless device phone number, an exclusion list, and a path list of wireless devices in path up to the intermediate wireless device (WD-X). discovering, at the source wireless device (WD-S), wireless devices within communication range of the source wireless device (WD-S); determining, at the source wireless device (WD-S), for each discovered wireless device, one of: whether the discovered wireless device is the destination device and whether the discovered wireless device has wireless connectivity to a wireless base station, wherein each discovered wireless device is included in a list of discovered wireless devices, wherein said list of discovered wireless devices is prioritized, and wherein the prioritization of the list of discovered wireless devices is such that: the destination device is accorded highest priority if the destination device is discovered; the discovered wireless devices having connectivity to a wireless base station are accorded a next highest priority in order of signal strength when at least one discovered wireless device has wireless connectivity to a wireless base station; and the discovered wireless devices not having wireless connectivity to a wireless base station are accorded a next highest priority in order of signal strength, when at least one discovered wireless device lacking the destination device is accorded highest priority if the destination device is discovered; the discovered wireless devices having connectivity to a wireless base station are accorded a next highest priority in order of signal strength when at least one discovered wireless device has wireless connectivity to a wireless base station; and the discovered wireless devices not having wireless connectivity to a wireless base station are accorded a next highest priority in order of signal strength, when at least one discovered wireless device lacking connectivity to a wireless base station is discovered; determining, at the source wireless device (WD-S), whether a session type for the communication path is an E911 session; and when the session type is an E911 session, then configuring the source wireless device (WD-S) to send an E911 connection request to a discovered wireless device for subsequent forwarding to an E911 service, wherein the E911 connection request includes a source service set identifier, S-SSID, a global positioning system, GPS, location, a source wireless device phone number, an exclusion list, and a path list of wireless devices in path up to the intermediate wireless device (WD-X).