Wireless communication system having antenna diversity

A method of operating a wireless communication system having a plurality of stations with each station having a plurality of antennas, comprising the steps of:

• identifying a default antenna within a first plurality of antennas at a first station;
• selecting the default antenna for transmitting a first packet from the first station;
• selecting a second antenna of a second plurality of antennas at a second station for receiving the first packet at the second station, wherein the second antenna selecting step comprises the step of testing received signal quality of the first packet on each of the second plurality of antennas at the second station in order to determine on which antenna to receive the first packet;
• transmitting the first packet from the default antenna at the first station and receiving the first packet with the second antenna at the second station;
• in response to the second antenna being selected in the second antenna selecting step, selecting to transmit an acknowledgment packet from only the second antenna of the second plurality of antennas at the second station after the first packet transmitting and receiving step, and
• in response to the default antenna being selected in the default antenna selecting step, selecting to receive the acknowledgment packet with only the default antenna of the first plurality of antennas at the first station.