A portable communication network comprises plural portable communications units, each providing a unit code identifier, a wave energy transceiver, preferably using RF energy which is enabled for direct communication with any other of the communications units over a limited range, a device for assigning a target code to each signal transmission, a device for detecting the target code in each signal reception, a device for processing a received signal when the target code of the received signal equals the unit code, and a device for retransmitting a received signal when the target code of the received signal differs from the unit code. In this manner, through signal repeating, communication is enabled between any two of the communications units when their separation is greater then the limited range. Automatic routing through the communication network is established between two members of the network. Alternate routes are established as background tasks to be switched in if the current route is interrupted.