The question asks about the best configuration for the WLAN being tested, which involves channel bonding on an 802.11ac AP. Channel bonding is a technique that combines two or more adjacent channels into a wider channel to increase the bandwidth and throughput of the wireless network1.
The answer is to set up the AP to perform a dynamic selection of the frequency according to regulatory requirements. This means that the AP will automatically choose the best available channel and adjust the transmit power based on the local regulations and the interference level2. This way, the AP can avoid using the channels that are occupied by the government radio system, which may have higher priority and authority over the spectrum3.
Upgrading the equipment to an AP that supports manual configuration of the EIRP power settings is not the best solution, because it does not address the channel selection issue. EIRP stands for Effective Isotropic Radiated Power, which is the total power radiated by the antenna in all directions. Manual configuration of the EIRP may allow the administrator to increase or decrease the signal strength, but it may also violate the regulatory limits or cause more interference with other devices.
Switching to 802.11n, disabling channel auto-selection, and enforcing channel bonding on the configuration is also not the best solution, because it may degrade the performance and compatibility of the WLAN. 802.11n is an older standard than 802.11ac, which has lower maximum data rates and fewer features. Disabling channel auto-selection may prevent the AP from adapting to the changing environment and finding the optimal channel. Enforcing channel bonding may increase the bandwidth, but it may also increase the interference and reduce the number of available channels.
Deactivating the band 5GHz to avoid interference with the government radio is not the best solution, because it may limit the functionality and capacity of the WLAN. The 5GHz band has more channels and less congestion than the 2.4GHz band, which makes it suitable for high-performance applications and devices. Deactivating the band 5GHz may force the WLAN to use only the 2.4GHz band, which may reduce the speed, range, and reliability of the wireless network. Reference:
Channel Bonding
Dynamic Frequency Selection
Radio Regulations
[EIRP Calculator]
[EIRP and Regulatory Domains]
[802.11n vs 802.11ac]
[Channel Auto-Selection]
[Channel Bonding and Interference]
[5GHz vs 2.4GHz]
[5GHz Band Deactivation]