A distributed wireless online access system comprises a plurality of primary wireless units forming primary wireless communications network, and a plurality of secondary wireless units. Each primary wireless unit may comprise a wireless transmitter, a wireless receiver, and a programmed processor for routing data packets received by the primary wireless unit for re-transmission to another primary wireless unit or to a secondary wireless unit. Each secondary wireless unit may comprise a wireless transmitter, a wireless receiver, and a programmed processor for processing received data packets and for generating transmitted data packets. A portal unit may provide a connection or link between the primary wireless network and an external communications system (such as the Internet), thereby providing access to the external communications network to all primary and secondary wireless units. Data packets may be generated by an originating secondary wireless unit, transmitted to a primary wireless unit, routed and re-transmitted through a succession of other primary wireless units, and ultimately received by a destination unit (either a destination secondary wireless unit or a portal unit/external communications system). A data packet may follow one of several alternative network paths through the primary network connecting the originating point and the destination point, thereby enabling the system to route data packets around unavailable primary units, slower portions of the primary network, and so on. An wireless online access provider may collect access fees from subscribers having primary or secondary wireless units, and may pay provider revenue out to subscribers having primary wireless units to encourage growth of the wireless network. One or more primary wireless units may be mobile, resulting in a transient primary wireless network having a dynamically varying network topology.