AVM Fritz Box 7490
Looking for a new router? Here we test a powerful model that can effortlessly bring Wi-Fi to your dead spots.
A router's job is to receive your Internet connection and create a network around your house, so you can access the web on your various computers and tablets. Our test house has just had a new ADSL Internet connection installed by Sky, which we've left running with the ISP's router to provide a baseline for comparing any extra benefit gained from a replacement model. We performed our usual tests with the Fritz Box 7490, using NetStress (www.nutsaboutnets.com) to see how fast the wireless network was. We tested it both unobstructed in the same room, and across the house at a distance, where walls and ceilings interfere with the signal. In the same room, using our laptop's built-in Wi-Fl, we found the two routers provided similar network speed, with Sky's router getting 17.98Mbps and the Fritz Box being slightly slower at 17.94Mbps. However, moving across the house and up a floor, the ISP router only managed 8.9Mbps, and occasionally lost the network completely. The Fritz Box, on the other hand, barely registered that we'd moved, maintaining a steady network speed of 16.58Mbps, which is an impressive result. The router can use the 802.11ac Wi-Fl standard, so if you've got compatible equipment, you can expect even faster speeds.
The Fritz Box comes with ADSL and VDSL (fibre broadband) hardware built-in, so it can connect directly to most non-cable broadband connections. If you have a cable connection, you can use your exisiting Ethernet router as a modem and plug it into the first of the Fritz Box's four Ethernet ports (you'll have to configure the port to receive, rather than distribute, your Internet connection). This entails losing one of the Fritz Box's wired network ports, but it means you'll be able to take advantage of its superior Wi-Fi. It also effectively makes the Fritz Box future-proof These options appear in the configuration, which you access by typing http://fritz .box into your browser. The interface isn't particularly slick, but the initial set-up uses simple multiple-choice options that even network novices will find very easy to understand and use. Once the Fritx Box is set up, you'll find a wealth of advanced features, from guest networks to configuring the two USB 3 ports (which can be used to store, share and stream files, or share printers). A quirk of many Fritz Box routers is that they also include telephony tools. The 7490 can be used as the base station and answerphone for up to six standard digital cordless phones or with an internet telephone service. This feature isn't likely to be of much use to most UK customers, who usually have phone services bundled with broadband. It might also make you wonder how much extra you're paying to include this feature in what is already a very expensive router.
SPECIFICATIONS
• ADSL, ADSL2+ and VDSL compatible
• 802.11ac/n/g/b/a Wi-Fi
• 4 x Gigabit Ethernet
• Browser-based access to all files in the network, wherever they are stored
• 2 x USB 3 ports
FOR
• Superb Wi-Fi signal at a distance
• Future-proof
AGAINST
• Expensive
• Includes phone features that many won't need
OUR VERDICT
This is a top-of-the-range router that provides excellent performance. It's primarily configured for ADSL and fibre users, but will still work with other types of connection, so it won't need replacing if you switch services.
A router's job is to receive your Internet connection and create a network around your house, so you can access the web on your various computers and tablets. Our test house has just had a new ADSL Internet connection installed by Sky, which we've left running with the ISP's router to provide a baseline for comparing any extra benefit gained from a replacement model. We performed our usual tests with the Fritz Box 7490, using NetStress (www.nutsaboutnets.com) to see how fast the wireless network was. We tested it both unobstructed in the same room, and across the house at a distance, where walls and ceilings interfere with the signal. In the same room, using our laptop's built-in Wi-Fl, we found the two routers provided similar network speed, with Sky's router getting 17.98Mbps and the Fritz Box being slightly slower at 17.94Mbps. However, moving across the house and up a floor, the ISP router only managed 8.9Mbps, and occasionally lost the network completely. The Fritz Box, on the other hand, barely registered that we'd moved, maintaining a steady network speed of 16.58Mbps, which is an impressive result. The router can use the 802.11ac Wi-Fl standard, so if you've got compatible equipment, you can expect even faster speeds.
SPECIFICATIONS
• ADSL, ADSL2+ and VDSL compatible
• 802.11ac/n/g/b/a Wi-Fi
• 4 x Gigabit Ethernet
• Browser-based access to all files in the network, wherever they are stored
• 2 x USB 3 ports
FOR
• Superb Wi-Fi signal at a distance
• Future-proof
AGAINST
• Expensive
• Includes phone features that many won't need
OUR VERDICT
This is a top-of-the-range router that provides excellent performance. It's primarily configured for ADSL and fibre users, but will still work with other types of connection, so it won't need replacing if you switch services.
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