You are designing a wireless LAN with the following components: - High-density indoor access point deployment - 2.4-GHz and 5-GHz radios - 802.11a, 802.11g, and 802.11n mode wireless LAN clients…

Lower data rates (below 12 Mb/s) require significantly more airtime to transmit the same payload, directly increasing duty cycle and reducing capacity for other clients. By disabling these legacy rates, the AP forces all clients to associate at 12 Mb/s or higher, shortening each frame's on-air duration and improving aggregate throughput in a high-density deployment.

Decreasing transmit power shrinks cell size and can reduce co-channel interference but does not prevent legacy clients from using low data rates that inflate duty cycle.

Increasing transmit power on high duty cycle APs enlarges the cell and attracts more clients, worsening congestion rather than reducing duty cycle.

Disabling data rates above 12 Mb/s would force all clients onto low rates, dramatically increasing airtime per frame and raising duty cycle.

Increasing transmit power on all APs amplifies co-channel interference in a high-density deployment and does not address legacy-rate airtime consumption.