Traffic identifier field usage in a polling frame in a packet-based wireless network

An access point in a wireless network transmits polling frames to node wherein the polling frame includes a traffic identifier (TID) value that corresponds to a particular stream or category of traffic. The polling frame prompts the receiving node to respond with its own data frames that correspond to the TID value. The node receiving the polling frame then responds to the polling frame with its own data frames that correspond to the TID value from the polling frame, if the node has any such frames with which to respond. Other features include the implementation priority levels that dictate which frames a node will transmit in response to the polling frame and a request traffic identifier (RTID) value that specifies whether or not the receiving node is to respond with frames that only correspond to the TID value in the polling frame.