A Virtual Soft-Hand-off method for wireless IP-centric CDMA networks whose routers, hosts, and mobile stations have small group multicast (SGM) capability comprises setting up an explicit synchronous multicast session among a small group of participants with dynamic group membership. Packets transmitted over the multicast session are time stamped to help maintain synchronization, and the receivers recover multiple packet flows from the multiple received signals concurrently and combine them to create a single packet flow at higher layers.