a communication system is disclosed that automatically configures a communication device for wireless communication . in the communication system , a first communication device receives identification signals from second communication devices . the first communication device processes the identification signals to generate a composite signal . a control system determines a location of the first communication device in relation to the second communication devices based on the composite signal . the control system generates a virtual topology map of the communication system based on the location of the first communication device and the composite signal . the control system generates wireless communication information based on the virtual topology . the first communication device processes the wireless communication information to configure itself for wireless communication . the communication system advantageously configures communication devices faster and cheaper than prior systems .