Abstract: A first repeater operating within a wireless network including a second repeater capable of communicating with the first repeater, and first and second wireless station devices capable of communicating with at least one of the first repeater and the second repeater, includes a reception device for receiving a wireless signal at a reception frequency; a detector for detecting if a predetermined portion of the received wireless signal includes a modified portion to thereby determine that the received signal is from the second repeater; and a transmission device for transmitting the wireless signal to one of the first and second wireless station devices at a transmission frequency to thereby repeat the wireless signal.

Abstract: An exemplary method (600, 700) and apparatus (800) are provided for generating a modified protocol message (414, 423 a, 423b, 424). In some embodiments, a physical layer repeater conducts a repeating operation including receiving a modified protocol signal on a first channel and retransmitting a modified version of the modified protocol signal on a second channel. An exemplary physical layer repeater can include a transceiver (810), a baseband modem (822), and a processor (821) configured to demodulate the modified protocol signal to obtain a first identifier and a first channel identifier and a unique identifier in a modified portion of the signal. The unique identifier and a second channel identifier are retransmitted in a modified version of the signal on the second channel.

Abstract: Codes are applied to signals to reduce the number of transceivers and associated RF cabling extending from base electronics to antenna array electronics in a base station providing beam forming. The transceivers can be reduced to as few as one, and the RF cabling can be reduced to none. The codes may be orthogonal codes, such as Walsh codes. The codes are applied: to weights used to produce the beam forming, signal being transmitted or received, or both. The codes are applied a second time to decompose the coded weights/signal to associate the weights and signal with the beam forming. The coded weights/signal can be summed, including with other coded weights/signals, to produce a composite code division multiplexed signal for transmission between transceiver(s) and antenna array electronics over a single RF or non-RF cable spanning between the base electronics and array electronics.