The ALOHA Protocol

The ALOHA Protocol is a method for computers or devices to communicate over a shared network channel without strict coordination. Devices send data whenever they have it, but if two devices transmit at the same time, a collision occurs, causing both to need to resend later. To reduce collisions, devices wait a random amount of time before retrying after a collision. ALOHA was an early way to manage multiple users sharing a communication medium efficiently, laying the groundwork for more advanced network protocols used today.