Each of first and second stations, in communicating with the other station, provides a preamble including forward link parameters and reverse link parameters. The forward link parameters in each preamble for each individual station are provided for each station in accordance with the reverse link parameters previously transmitted to the station in packets from the other station. The reverse link parameters in each preamble in each individual station provide an indication to the other station of the forward link parameters to be provided by the other station in the next transmission of a packet to the individual station from the other station. Data is provided in packets at each station to be transmitted to the other station. Each packet transmitted by each station to the other station includes a preamble and includes data after the preamble.