Encoded information reading terminal with wireless path selection capability

A portable encoded information reading (EIR) terminal for incorporation in a data collection system having a plurality of peer EIR terminals, said plurality of peer EIR terminal collectively forming a wireless network, said wireless network being an OSI layer 2 network, said wireless network comprising zero or more wireless access points, said wireless network further comprising zero or more portals, each portal routing MAC frames between said wireless network and at least one OSI layer 2 network, said EIR terminal comprising:

• a terminal module including a central processing unit (CPU), a memory, and an encoded information reading (EIR) device selected from the group consisting of a bar code reading device, an RFID reading device, and a card reading device, said EIR device configured to perform one of:
• outputting raw message data containing an encoded message, outputting decoded message data corresponding to an encoded message;
• a wireless interface module communicatively coupled to said terminal module via a wired interface, said wireless interface module including a microcontroller, a memory, and at least one wireless communication interface;
• wherein said wireless interface module is configured to establish one or more wireless links with one or more EIR terminals of said plurality of peer EIR terminals, to join said wireless network;
• and
• wherein said wireless interface module is further configured, responsive to receiving a portal announcement, to cache one or more network addresses of devices having originated said portal announcement.