In this paper, a cooperative wireless multi-hop network is considered, cooperative diversity can be realized by allowing nodes close proximity to cooperate in transmission. In order to group receiver nodes into a cluster, it is necessary to select appropriate nodes. We introduce an optimal node selection algorithm based on MIMO antenna selection, this algorithm, combining with cooperative transmission strategy, gives an optimal node selection algorithm using convex optimization theory. Theoretical analysis and simulation indicate that this scheme can give good performance of maximizing the channel capacity through optimal node selection.