Online Computer Dictionary

(From the Hawaiian greeting) A system of contention resolution devised at The University of Hawaii.

Packets are broadcast when ready, the sender listens to see if they collide and if so re-transmits after a random time. Slotted Aloha constrains packets to start at the beginning of a time slot. Basic Aloha is appropriate to long propagation time nets (e.g. satellite). For shorter propagation times, carrier sense protocols are possible.