If you want to buy a new Fritzbox, it doesn’t necessarily have to be the most expensive and best equipped router. It depends on what you want to do with it and what the internet connection offers. ntv.de shows which models are available, what they can do and what requirements they meet.
If you want to replace your good old Fritzbox or buy an AVM router for the first time, you are spoiled for choice, the Berlin manufacturer currently has 16 devices on offer. But not every device fits every Internet connection, and not every user needs the most powerful model with all functions. ntv.de explains which Fritzbox can do what, and which device is the right one for which requirements.
Before choosing a Fritzbox, it is important to know the type of connection. Most German households have DSL connections, and Internet via a cable TV connection is also widespread. In principle, it is then necessary to look up the maximum transmission speeds in the contract. With DSL connections, you check whether it is simple ADSL or ADSL, ADSL2 or VDSL. You may already have a super-fast fiber optic connection, but for some users a device with an integrated cellular module may be the best choice. The Fritzbox should then also be equipped according to the Internet line and the booked speed.
The next thing to think about is what the Fritzbox needs to have in the household. In small apartments with a few connected devices (clients), for example, it does not have to be the fastest WLAN with several radio units. In such a case, you can probably do without smart home functions.
When it comes to TV streaming, don’t be fooled. Even the data rates of the simplest contracts are usually easily sufficient in connection with the simplest Fritzbox, as long as several users are not streaming at the same time. It is more important that the transmission is stable and the WLAN does not have to bridge too long distances.
In larger households with multiple users and numerous clients, it should be at least a mid-range Fritzbox. Then you don’t have to worry about whether the device should serve as the center of the networked home now or in the future. And you also have the option of connecting landline telephones (DECT) if you still need them.
A Fritzbox is durable. This not only affects the reliable hardware, but also a relatively long software support for the digital world. The devices are guaranteed to receive updates for five years, until support ends completely, even a little more time elapses.
Of course, the devices still work perfectly afterwards, but without updates, security becomes more and more porous. Especially with the more expensive top models, it makes sense to make sure that you buy a Fritzbox that is as new as possible so that the investment is worthwhile in the long term.
If a reasonable modem is included in the price from the Internet provider, no high-speed data rates are required in a small space and no other extras are required, you could actually go for the Fritzbox 4040, which is cheap for 75 euros. But it was launched back in September 2016 and end of support is long overdue.
Alternatively, AVM offers the Fritzbox 4060, which is only a year old, as a router without a modem. It has three WLAN radio units, masters the latest standard ax and accelerates with transmission speeds of up to 2400 Mbit/s. The router also transmits at 5 gigahertz (GHz), which is less susceptible to interference and allows significantly higher data rates than the 2.4 GHz band over short distances.
The AVM router can stream stored music as a media server or serve as home cloud storage (NAS). And like all current Fritz boxes, the 4060 is mesh-capable. This means that it transmits smartphones and other devices to repeaters or powerline transmitters without interruption under a uniform WLAN address if they offer a better connection.
The router can also serve as a base station for up to six DECT telephones, offers fax and answering machine functions and has internal storage as a media server or NAS. However, it only has three gigabit ports and a USB socket and is quite expensive at around 260 euros.
At such a price, you can also buy a cheaper mid-range Fritzbox with an integrated modem, as long as you can do without top WLAN speeds. With the Fritzbox 7510 (market launch December 2021), AVM sells a cheap device that also offers telephone functions for 130 euros.
However, the entry-level DSL router is more for special customers. Because the 7510 transmits in the latest WLAN standard ax, but only has WLAN-n ready for older connected devices instead of the faster WLAN-ac. In addition, the 7510 only uses the 2.4 GHz frequency, with which it achieves 600 Mbit/s.
For 30 euros more you get the Fritzbox 7530 AX. It offers WLAN-ax, also transmits in the 5 GHz network and achieves the significantly higher transmission speed of up to 1800 Mbit/s. You can also find the Fritzbox 7530 at a similar price on the Internet. This is the predecessor that came onto the market in May 2018 and does not even support WLAN-ax. It is therefore better to keep your hands off this AVM router.
The situation is similar in the upper class with the Fritzbox 7590, which currently costs around 200 euros. While this is a very good device that can still be found in many homes, it went on sale back in June 2017. It is therefore worth investing 270 euros in the successor Fritzbox 7590 AX (September 2021). It can do everything the 7530 AX can, but is even faster at up to 2400 Mbit/s. It also has two USB sockets instead of just one, and it can handle ISDN telephones.
You should also pay attention to the age of the AVM routers for cable connections. You can still get the very good flagship 6591 Cable, which was launched in May 2019, for around 225 euros. The successor Fritzbox 6690 Cable has been available since December 2021. It costs almost 50 euros more, but it’s worth it just because of the almost three years longer support.
In addition, the latest cable Fritzbox has WLAN-ax on board, with which it can theoretically achieve transmission speeds of up to 4800 Mbit/s. Anyone who likes high speed will also be pleased that the 6690 Cable has a further 2.5 Gbit port on the back in addition to three gigabit LAN connections. There are also two USB sockets and two analog inputs.
If you want to save money, you can use the Fritzbox 6660 Cable (February 2020), which you can get for just under 205 euros. It has WLAN-ax, but “only” achieves up to 2400 Mbit/s. In addition to a 2.5 gigabit port, it has three gigabit connections, but only one USB input.
The fastest Internet data rates are achieved with a fiber optic connection. This type of cable is also used with VDSL, but only up to the junction box. From there to the household, it continues with copper cables, as with DSL. With a fiber optic connection, the “last mile” is also fiber optic.
There are still only a few pure fiber optic connections in Germany, in 2021 the Federal Republic was still among the bottom of the OECD countries. However, things are apparently progressing gradually, according to the industry association Broadband Communication e.V. (BREKO), fiber optics were still available to around 26 percent of German households by mid-2022. In 2021 it was still 17.7 percent.
AVM currently has two fiber optic routers on offer. The Fritzbox 5530 Fiber has been on the market since December 2020 and costs around 190 euros. It works on all active and passive fiber optic connections. With WLAN-ax it achieves transmission rates of up to 2400 MBit/s. In addition to a 2.5 Gigabit, the 5530 Fiber has two Gigabit LAN ports. Strange: There is no USB socket on the device.
The Fritzbox 5550 Fiber is a year and a half younger and is available from around 270 euros. Among other things, it has two additional gigabit LAN sockets, two USB 3.0 inputs and a WAN port for external modems. It can also serve as a media server
Fritzboxes for LTE reception are mainly used where no wired Internet is available. The simplest model without any extras is the Fritzbox 6820 LTE, the third edition of which has been available since March 2020. For around 130 euros, it only has WLAN-n, with which transfer rates of up to 450 Mbit/s are possible. The device only transmits at 2.4 GHz, and there is just one gigabit LAN port on board.
The same old Fritzbox 6850 LTE, which can be bought from 175 euros, is better equipped. It offers WLAN-ac with up to 866 MBit/s, also uses the 5 GHz band, has four gigabit LAN sockets and a USB 3.0 port. The router can also serve as a telephone system.
There is also a Fritzbox 6850 5G. However, those who expect more than the general advantages of 5G will be disappointed. The variant has exactly the same features as the LTE model. In terms of price, it differs enormously from the LTE version at just under 500 euros.
The Fritzbox 6890 LTE is also a wired router that can handle ADSL( ) and VDSL. The LTE function serves as an emergency solution. With up to 1733 MBit/s, the device offers a faster WLAN data rate. Otherwise, the router is equipped similarly to the Fritzbox 6850 LTE. The combination solution has its price, you can’t get the device for less than 350 euros.