The Fritz!Box’s web-based management system is the most straightforward, well-organised and easily understandable we’ve come across in any router. That list of features is pretty remarkable, and it’s by no means an exhaustive description, but what’s most impressive is the ease with which all these features can be accessed, tweaked and set up. It may be primarily intended for an ADSL line, with support for up to 100Mbits/sec ADSL2+ speeds, but you can also use it for cable connections. There’s channel bonding – pushing the theoretical maximum speed of the connection to 300Mbits/sec – 512MB of built-in storage, and even fax send and receive facilities. The wireless radio is concurrent dual-band 802.11n, so you can have 2.4GHz and 5GHz devices connected simultaneously. It’s a clever box of tricks, but the list doesn’t end there. AVM sells its own DECT handset – the Fritz!Fon MT-F – for £65 inc VAT, which adds the ability to listen to internet radio streams as well as directly manage the answer machine and telephony features on the Fritz!Box itself. This router not only connects your wireless and wired devices to the internet, but also sports VoIP features and can act as a base station for up to six DECT phones.
