1. A method of enabling a first wireless device to exchange communications with other wireless devices in a wireless mesh network that enables the first wireless device to exchange communications with a second wireless device using a third wireless device, the method comprising: enabling the first wireless device to join the wireless mesh network; configuring the first wireless device to implement a wireless routing protocol that enables the first wireless device to exchange network topology information with other wireless devices in the wireless mesh network; developing a network topology that indicates a location of the first wireless device in the wireless mesh network and a location of the second wireless device relative to a location of wireless routers; presenting a presence-based messaging interface in the first wireless device enabling the user to exchange communications with a second user on the second wireless device in the wireless mesh network, the presence-based messaging interface structured and arranged to exchange communications between users in real-time that have elected to become online; creating a communications label for the second user on the second wireless device in the presence-based messaging interface, modifying the communications label to reflect the location of the first wireless device in the wireless mesh network relative to the location of the second wireless device.