grid area 100 and assigning logical ids to identified smart meters 102 or memory 210 may include instructions for responding to a pick up message generated by host 104 receiving an acceptance message from host 104 and storing a logical id generated by host 104 fig3 is a flowchart illustrating an algorithm for locating and identifying smart meters in a grid area the algorithm illustrated in fig3 will be discussed in conjunction with fig1 and 2 for the purposes of illustration consistent with some embodiments steps of the algorithm may be executed by processors 208 of smart meters 102 and or host 104 wherein in some embodiments host 104 may be a repeater 106 or another processing device moreover the algorithm illustrated in fig3 may be used for locating and identifying smart meters in a grid area which may be coupled together and to a host through power line connection plc or wirelessly such that the smart meters in the grid area form a network furthermore the algorithm illustrated in fig3 may be used following a new installation or an upgrade of legacy meters to smart meters in such situations the unique ids of each of the smart meters in the grid area are not known to the utility vendor or operator or the number of smart meters in the grid area is not known thus smart meter 102 will not have an assigned logical id stored in memory 210 when there is no assigned.