Channel Bonding

Channel bonding improves the effective throughput of the wireless LAN. In contrast to legacy APs which use radio channel spacings that are only 20 MHz wide, 11n wireless APs can use two channels at the same time to create a 40 MHz wide channel. 11ac wireless APs can use four channels at the same time to create an 80 MHz wide channel.

The 40 MHz channel width is achieved by bonding the primary channel (20 MHz) with an extension channel.

Channel bonding is predefined on both Radio 1 and Radio 2. Channel bonding is enabled by selecting the Channel Width on the Radio tabs. When selecting Channel Width, the following options are available:

• 20 MHz — Channel bonding is not enabled:
  • 802.11n clients use the primary channel (20 MHz)
  • Non-802.11n clients, as well as beacons and multicasts, use the 802.11a/b/g radio protocols.
• 40 MHz — Channel bonding is enabled:
  • 802.11n clients that support the 40 MHz channel width can use 40 MHz, 20 MHz, or the 802.11a/b/g radio protocols.
  • 802.11n clients that do not support the 40 MHz channel width can use 20 MHz or the 802.11a/b/g radio protocols.
  • Non-802.11n clients, beacons, and multicasts use the 802.11a/b/g radio protocols.
• 80 MHz — Channel bonding is enabled:
  • 802.11ac clients that support the 80 MHz channel width can use 80 MHz, 40 MHz, 20 MHz, or the 802.11a/b/g radio protocols.
  • 802.11n clients that do not support the 80 MHz channel width can use 20 MHz, 40 MHz, or the 802.11a/b/g radio protocols.
  • Non-802.11n clients, beacons, and multicasts use the 802.11a/b/g radio protocols.
• Auto — Channel bonding is automatically enabled or disabled, switching between 20 MHz, 40 MHz, and 80 MHz, depending on how busy the extension channel(s) are. If the extension channel is busy above a prescribed threshold percentage, which is defined in the 40 MHz Channel Busy Threshold box, channel bonding is disabled.