A system and method for automatically performing a channel selection procedure in a wireless network includes a forward transmitter that embeds an identifier into forward data that is transmitted over a forward link. A forward receiver then receives the forward data on the forward link, and removes the identifier from the forward data. A reverse transmitter receives the identifier from the forward receiver, and embeds the identifier into reverse data that is transmitted over a reverse link on a selected reverse channel chosen from among a plurality of available reverse channels. A reverse receiver then searches the reverse channels to identify the selected reverse channel containing reverse data with the identifier embedded. The reverse receiver may then utilize the reverse data received over the identified reverse channel.