A system and method for improving the ability of a portable voice and data wireless communications network to provide position information regarding mobile nodes located within a network. The system and method employs mobile access points, wireless routers, and mobile nodes, which each contain at least one transceiver, and are mounted or dispersed at a geographic location. Access points can be connected to mobile vehicles, or connected to a network management system, and wireless routers can be mounted to portable stands for easy deployment. Mobile nodes can be attached to equipment or personnel for tracking purposes, and each node includes technology which may determine an absolute node location containing latitude, longitude and altitude of a node, or a relative node location containing the distance and angle between nodes, or a combination of both absolute and relative location data.