Protocols for ad-hoc wireless networks (200) that use mediation devices (202 210) to facilitate communication between low power, low duty cycle wireless devices (212 226) are provided. In order to avoid premature battery exhaustion in particular devices, devices operating as mediation devices (202 210) report their communication load to low duty cycle wireless devices (212 226) that are positioned to be able to use the mediation devices (202 210). Based on the information as to communication load received from multiple mediation devices (202 210), and optionally on a virtual hop count that is a predictor of how rapidly the use of a route through a particular mediation device will lead to battery exhaustion, low duty cycle wireless devices (212 226) choose a mediation device (202 210) to use or proportion use of mediation devices (202 210) in order to delay battery exhaustion in the network.