A channel contention method, comprising: sending, by an access point, AP, a request to send, RTS, frame, wherein the RTS frame carries group response indication information, and the group response indication information is used to instruct multiple stations, STAs, to return clear to send, CTS, frames; receiving, by the AP, a CTS frame that is returned according to the group response indication information by a STA among the multiple STAs that receives the RTS frame; characterised by: before the step of sending, by an access point, AP, a request to send RTS frame, the method further comprises: allocating, by the AP, an identifier sequence to each STA in the BSS of the AP, wherein the identifier sequences of the STAs are orthogonal or quasi-orthogonal; and after the step of receiving, by the AP, a CTS frame that is returned according to the group response indication information by a STA among the multiple STAs that receives the RTS frame, the method further comprises: receiving, by the AP, an identifier sequence that is sent after the STA returning the CTS frame returns the CTS frame; and performing, by the AP, a correlation operation according to the received identifier sequence and the identifier sequences of the multiple STAs, to determine the STA returning the CTS frame. sending, by an access point, AP, a request to send, RTS, frame, wherein the RTS frame carries group response indication information, and the group response indication information is used to instruct multiple stations, STAs, to return clear to send, CTS, frames; receiving, by the AP, a CTS frame that is returned according to the group response indication information by a STA among the multiple STAs that receives the RTS frame; characterised by: before the step of sending, by an access point, AP, a request to send RTS frame, the method further comprises: allocating, by the AP, an identifier sequence to each STA in the BSS of the AP, wherein the identifier sequences of the STAs are orthogonal or quasi-orthogonal; and after the step of receiving, by the AP, a CTS frame that is returned according to the group response indication information by a STA among the multiple STAs that receives the RTS frame, the method further comprises: receiving, by the AP, an identifier sequence that is sent after the STA returning the CTS frame returns the CTS frame; and performing, by the AP, a correlation operation according to the received identifier sequence and the identifier sequences of the multiple STAs, to determine the STA returning the CTS frame. allocating, by the AP, an identifier sequence to each STA in the BSS of the AP, wherein the identifier sequences of the STAs are orthogonal or quasi-orthogonal; and after the step of receiving, by the AP, a CTS frame that is returned according to the group response indication information by a STA among the multiple STAs that receives the RTS frame, the method further comprises: receiving, by the AP, an identifier sequence that is sent after the STA returning the CTS frame returns the CTS frame; and performing, by the AP, a correlation operation according to the received identifier sequence and the identifier sequences of the multiple STAs, to determine the STA returning the CTS frame. receiving, by the AP, an identifier sequence that is sent after the STA returning the CTS frame returns the CTS frame; and performing, by the AP, a correlation operation according to the received identifier sequence and the identifier sequences of the multiple STAs, to determine the STA returning the CTS frame.