Which process allows devices on a network to sense a collision before attempting to transmit data?

The process that allows devices on a network to sense a collision before attempting to transmit data is known as Carrier Sense Multiple Access with Collision Detection (CSMA/CD). This protocol is fundamental to traditional Ethernet networks operating in half-duplex mode.

In CSMA/CD, when a device wants to send data, it first listens to the network to determine if another device is transmitting. This is the "carrier sense" portion of the protocol. If the network is quiet, the device proceeds to transmit its data. However, while transmitting, it continues to listen to the network. If it detects that another device has also started transmitting at the same time, signaling a collision, the devices involved will stop transmitting and run a backoff algorithm. This helps to prevent further collisions when they retry sending the data.

The other options involve different mechanisms. Token Ring uses a token-passing method to control access to the network, which eliminates collisions entirely. Ethernet switching operates at a different layer and uses MAC address tables to intelligently forward frames without the risk of collisions occurring on a switch. Poll and respond is a method where a master device polls slave devices for their data, which doesn't involve collision detection in the same way as CSMA/CD.