A multi-channel wireless device for participating on a plurality of networks. The wireless device switches from a first channel associated with a first network to a second channel associated with a second network if the wireless device has a channel dwell time on the first channel equal to or greater than a maximum channel allowance time interval for the first channel, wherein the maximum channel allowance time interval for the first channel is given by a channel switching time subtracted from a Beacon interval associated with the first network divided by the total number of networks that the wireless device is participating with.