A method, apparatus and computer program product for preventing occurrences of the hidden node problem are presented. A transmission request (CC-RTS) is received from a source node, the CC-RTS frame including a reservation duration value indicating the length of time needed for a transmission reservation. A timer is adjusted for the period other nodes must refrain from transmitting on the channel (NAV) equal to a duration of a transmission request/transmission response (CC-RTS/CC-CTS) handshake. When the CC-RTS has been denied, then a second CC-RTS frame is received having a reservation duration value of zero, and when the CC-RTS is accepted then the NAV is extended to remainder of the reservation duration value of the original CC-RTS frame. The CC-RTS and CC-CTS are sent at a more robust PHY mode than traffic frames.