Abstract: A system and method for many-to-many failover and load balancing establishes a plurality of service groups for providing desired computing services. Each service group comprises a plurality of hosts, and each host within the service group is available to perform the computing services for which that group as a whole is responsible. Each host may belong to a plurality of service groups. Each operational host within a service group transmits periodic messages to each other host within the service group advising of the status of the transmitting host. A leader host evaluates the periodic messages and, where appropriate, dynamicall reassigns responsibility for particular computing services to a host within the group. The reassignment can be due either to failover or load balancing.

Abstract: A wireless local area network (WLAN) provides optimal data throughput by operating at multiple data rates simultaneously. The WLAN includes a network master communicating with a plurality of remote client transceiver nodes. The network master maintains a table of active client transceiver nodes. The table includes a current data rate for each of the active client transceiver nodes. Periodic high-speed and low-speed beacon signals are transmitted from the network master to the active client transceiver nodes. Each of the active client transceiver nodes receives and processes the beacon signals to determine an optimal data rate. Then, each of the active client transceiver nodes transmits a return signal to the network master which designates the determined optimal data rate. Thereafter, the network master updates the table to reflect the optimal data rate for each of the active client transceiver nodes.

Abstract: A label printer having a stepping motor and the ability to dynamically accurately control longitudinal label registration as a function of steps of the stepping motor. The effective length of the steps moving the labels between a known point prior to the printhead and the printhead are monitored and the number of steps actually used to move the labels between the known point and the printhead are adjusted as a function of changes in the effective step length. In one embodiment, a sensor counts the steps between consecutive labels or averages a number of labels to determine the effective step length. In another embodiment, a sensor detects the start of label and start of printing on the label and the step distance between the two is used to determine the effective step length.