Set up 802.11n Channel Bonding to achieve 300Mbps speed

The 802.11n WiFi network connection supports the theoretical bandwidth up to 300Mbps under the best conditions. However, 802.11n links sometimes operate at much slower speeds, such as 150Mbps or less.

In 802.11n, Channel Bonding uses two adjacent WiFi channels simultaneously to double the wireless link bandwidth compared to 802.11b / g. The 802.11n standard specifies the theoretical bandwidth of 300Mbps available when using Channel Bonding. Without Channel Bonding, about 50% of this bandwidth is lost, and in those instances 802.11n devices typically report connections in ranges between 130 and 150Mbps.

Warning : Channel Bonding increases the risk of interference to nearby WiFi networks due to increased spectrum and power consumption.

Set up 802.11n Channel Bonding

802.11n products generally don't have Channel Bonding enabled by default. Instead, these products run in conventional single-channel mode to keep the risk of interference low. Both the router and the Wireless-N client must be configured to run in Channel Bonding mode at the same time to achieve performance benefits.

The steps to configure Channel Bonding will vary depending on the product. Software sometimes calls single-channel operations at 20MHz (20MHz is the width of the WiFi channel) and Channel Bonding mode is operations at 40MHz.

Tip : Refer to your router's documentation for specific instructions on how to enable Channel Bonding mode.

Limitations of 802.11n Channel Bonding

The 802.11n device may not run in its maximum performance range (300Mbps) for the following reasons:

- Some 802.11n devices cannot support Channel Bonding. For example, this method of wireless transmission is regulated by governments in some countries such as the UK.

If the 802.11n network includes any 802.11b / g clients, network performance may be negatively affected, depending on the capabilities of the router. Since 802.11b / g clients do not support Channel Bonding, these clients must be properly set up with the Wireless-N router in mixed mode to minimize the impact on performance.

Interference from other 802.11n networks nearby may prevent the Wireless-N router from maintaining Channel Bonding connections. Some Wireless-N routers automatically revert to single-channel operation when they detect wireless interference on channels.

- Even if the connection can run at 300Mbps, that doesn't mean the devices can download and upload data that fast. One main reason for this is that ISP registration does not allow high speeds.

As with other networking standards, applications running on 802.11n networks often find actual bandwidth significantly less than the rated maximum, even with Channel Bonding. 300Mbps rated 802.11n connections typically deliver user data throughput of 200Mbps or less.

Lesley Montoya

Update 30 March 2021