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Fritz!Box 5690 Pro: 30-second review
Specifications
Connectivity: Wi-Fi 7, Triband, Mesh Networking, DECT ULE, Zigbee Integration, Media Server
RAM: 128GB
Ports: USB-A 3.1, Gigabit LAN, 1x 2.5Gbps LAN/WAN
Size: Approx. 268mm x 165mm x 48mm
Weight: 1100g
Operating System: FRITZ! OS
Accessories: Power adapter, DSL & fibre cables, SFP modules, LAN cable, quick-start guide
Data transfer rate: 18520 Mbps
LAN Port Bandwidth: 1000 Mbps
Compared with many home routers, there are a few more options for connectivity on the back. Alongside the fibre and DSL to connect you to the outer world, there’s compatibility for a telephone and some smart home devices built-in, so connecting an internal phone network for a small business or connecting to your smart devices in your home is made much easier with the use of this router.
Getting started with the router wasn’t as straightforward as many others that I’ve tested, and there are plenty of options through the setup process. Essentially, you need to know a bit more than the standard user about what type of internet connection you have, fibre, DSL, or other, and through the setup process, you’re asked for speeds and other specifications that need to be answered accurately in order to make the most of what this box has to offer.
Whilst I didn’t have the optional smart home additions such as the Fritz!Fon and Fritz! Smart, it’s great to see that AVM has not just thought about this as a router that’s going to draw in the internet into your house or small business, but also as the expandable heart of a larger networking ecosystem.
Right from the start of this test, whilst the design, graphics and look of the Fritz!Box 5690 Pro do make it look extremely user-friendly and for the mass market, which in many ways it is, if you really want to make the most of what’s on offer here, especially those smart home features and the more advanced fibre connection, then you are going to need a higher level of network understanding.
Once you do get everything set and configured, the signal strength and speed are exceptionally good. However, used as just a straightforward router, this is on the expensive side – given that cost, it’s unlikely to make it into our best Wi-Fi router round-up. But if you consider it as just the start of your home or business networking hub, especially with mesh, smart home options and an easy way to set up an internal telephone system, then it suddenly becomes very good value, which is matched by excellent performance.
Fritz!Box 5690 Pro: Price and availability
- How much does it cost? £453
- When is it out? Available now
- Where can you get it? You can get it Amazon
At present, the AVM Fritz!Box 5690 Pro is available in Europe from the official website here. It’s also available from online retailers like Amazon.co.uk here, where it’s priced at £453.
Fritz!Box 5690 Pro: Design
- Stylish design
- Wi-Fi 7
- DSL and Fibre support
The styling of the 5690 Pro is quite different from most other wireless home or small business routers. It’s relatively large with two prominent WLAN and Connect buttons on the red detailing around the right-hand side of the unit, and four very clearly laid-out LED indicators showing connection and status.
Around the back, everything is clearly laid out, with options for both DSL and fibre connectivity. Most of us are still on DSL, which is pretty straightforward to set up, but the great point here is that it’s ready for fibre as well, and in the box you’re provided with a fibre-optic cable ready to get going. You just need to check that you have an ONT (Optical Network Terminal) that supports the fibre-optic cable connection. That means that it doesn’t just offer the usual network socket, but also features an optical option.
One of the first things that highlights that this is completely different from anything else is the fact that it comes with two SFP (Small Form-factor Pluggable) modules, essentially a plug-in adapter, which slot into the back of the unit depending on the type of fibre connection you’re using. There’s one module for AON up to one gigabit and another for GPON up to 2.5Gbps. This is the first of what could be a few stumbling blocks where you have to pick the correct one for your connection. If you’re on DSL then you don’t have to worry.
Once the SFP is installed, you can then connect your DSL, any analogue phones that you have, your WAN/LAN, and up to four gigabit LAN connections directly to computers. There’s also a USB 3.1 port if you need to connect a USB stick or a hard drive.
The ports at the back are quite recessed, which helps protect them from getting knocked, offering a good amount of protection compared with most routers that simply have the cables sticking out.
When it comes to power, the router comes with its own power lead straight into the AC mains.
One of the other features that I liked from the outset was the WLAN button on the red detailing. This enables you to quickly turn the WLAN on and off without logging in to a web interface. A quick press will switch off the internet if you want to disable it overnight.
The second button is the Connect button, and this uses WPS pairing, ready for mesh setup. A quick push starts WPS pairing, and a longer press (up to 6 seconds) initiates the mesh connection mode.
Finally, there are four LEDs along the front. The first is Info, this is a custom status LED you can set up through the Fritz!OS, so if you do have a system that you would like a visual confirmation for, then you can assign it to this LED. Then you have Fon, which is for the phone connection, either analogue or VOIP, and will only activate if there’s a phone plugged in.
The next LED is WLAN, and if this is solid, it shows that the WLAN is connected and working. Likewise, the Power/Internet LED indicates that you’re connected and powered on. Otherwise, the design remains simple, with most advanced features accessible through the browser interface.
Fritz!Box 5690 Pro: Features
One of the big features here is that it has a built-in fibre through the SFP module as well as a DSL modem, so there’s no additional hardware needed. You can just take it out of the box and get started. When it comes to fibre, those two SFP modules included, one for 1Gbps and the other 2.5Gbps dependent on your connection.
Next up on the ports is the DSL and telephone port, alongside a 2.5Gbps WAN/LAN port. There are also four gigabit LAN ports for connecting computers and a USB 3.1 port.
The telephone port supports a telephone/DECT telephone system that enables cordless telephony, where this 5690 Pro box acts as a DECT (Digital Enhanced Cordless Telecommunications) base station. So if you’re running a small business and need to set up an internal phone network, then this is a great option. Whilst the price for a standard router might seem expensive, when you start to factor in all these additional features, it becomes very good value.
It’s worth pointing out that whilst there are plenty of features here, it will only support one internet connection at a time. This should be fine for most homes and small businesses, but if you’re operating a more complex network with a dual connection, then you’ll need to upgrade to a more enterprise-level router or just have two.
The Fritz!Box supports Wi-Fi 7, which enables it to simultaneously use three frequencies, 2.4GHz, 5GHz and the new 6GHz band. This multi-link operation (MLO) enables it to use multiple frequency bands for greater stability and compatibility with devices.
This box theoretically enables speeds of about 18,500Mbps, using the fastest 6GHz band at 11,530Mbps, the 5GHz band at up to 5,760Mbps, and the 2.4GHz band at 1,200Mbps. It’s just worth pointing out here that only the 5GHz and 6GHz bands will support full Wi-Fi 7 wireless connectivity.
Alongside the router, there are also a wide variety of smart home accessories, including the Repeater 6000. So if you live in a larger house or have a larger office where the Wi-Fi signal starts to get weak, then attaching one of these at a midway point will help boost the signal throughout in a mesh-style system.
Likewise, there’s also a telephone system with DECT that enables up to six cordless handsets to be connected, and Zigbee smart home control is also built into this router. Again, all of these features are great to see in a router of this type, but accessing them does take some technical know-how.
Alongside the hardware, you also have the Fritz!OS, and this enables you to manage router passwords, settings and access. You can also set up features such as advanced parental controls and guest Wi-Fi options, which is great if you’re running a small business or have guests in your house and don’t want them on the main network. It also enables you to set up a media server that will provide NAS-like functions using USB storage or a dedicated NAS.
Fritz!Box 5690 Pro: Performance
Getting started with the Fritz!Box 5690 Pro was relatively straightforward, with the unit being removed from the box, plugged in and then the DSL cable connected. Unfortunately, while I have fibre running to the house, my box does not enable me to connect directly through the fibre optic cable into a router.
This means that whilst I can test the Wi-Fi 7 capabilities, when it comes to checking the speeds, I will be limited by that DSL connection.
One of the first things that was apparent compared with the router and mesh system that is presently installed in both the house and my office was that the single router unit had a far greater range. I was able to pass through several walls and a distance of over 8 metres without attaching a repeater.
During the test period, the router was left in place for over four weeks, supplying the household with its main internet connection, used for network storage, general household internet use and TV, and during that time the connection proved exceptionally reliable, with the ability to log on through the https://fritz.box URL to access the router options and settings.
One thing that became apparent during the initial process, and again when further devices were connected, was that, unlike some of the out-of-the-box router options available, the 5690 Pro does require a bit more technical knowledge to get set up and running. That knowledge will only become more necessary when switching over to a true fibre connection, with not only the need to connect up the fibre-optic cable, which is straightforward, but also to know the exact details of your connection type.
For the most part, the speed of the connection was exceptionally good. It’s just a shame that the network port for LAN is limited to 2.5Gbps, not 10Gbps, which I would’ve expected with a router this fast. However, with a two NAS attached, the transfer rates to and from that box were excellent and on par with my existing system. Using my MacBook Pro M1 Max, I did notice that compared to the Eero router, there was very little speed difference. However, when I switched over to the ASUS ExpertBook equipped with Wi-Fi 7, I saw a significant uptick in speed.
What I also really liked was that, unlike my standard routers that offer only one or one network ports on the back, here I had four additional gigabit LAN ports, meaning that I could keep two NAS units and a network adapter attached at all times to the router, just making access between all network-connected devices that much easier.
Fritz!Box 5690 Pro: Final verdict
During the test, it became very obvious that when it comes to the Fritz!Box 5690 Pro, you should really think of this as the heart of your networking ecosystem, and one that’s future-proof, ready for fibre if you haven’t already made the move from DSL.
It packs a lot into one small box with its dual modem and two connection types. Once it’s set up and installed, you can use it for standard internet, phone calls, and also for operating all your smart home gadgets, of which Fritz! offers a good selection. If you already have smart home gadgets, however, then you do need to check compatibility. While it fully supports DECT ULE and some Zigbee 3.0 protocols, it’s not fully compatible with all devices, although there’s usually a workaround if you have the technical knowledge.
Those additions to the Fritz! Box ecosystem comes at an extra cost, but if you’re setting up a small business and looking for a complete solution, then this is a solid option. Likewise, if you’re setting up a smart home and have a bit of technical knowledge, again, this is a good choice, which actually balances out the price when you consider everything that’s included.
If you’re just looking for a straightforward Wi-Fi 7 router, then this might be a bit more advanced than you need, but it’s great to see that level of flexibility. The fact that it has additional gigabit LAN ports on the back does make it extremely useful and one step up from your average router, even at a base level, and for the last month I haven’t had to uplug units in order to make room for review gear.
By the end of the test, I was impressed with the quality of the wireless connection, even through my DSL connection, the performance over Wi-Fi 7 was a noticeable step up from the Wi-Fi 6 system I currently have installed. But what stood out more was that I could plug my NAS straight in, along with other network-connected devices, and there was the option to add in a telephone system as well. That means I could have a phone in the office, studio and workshop, keeping my work number separate from my personal mobile.
If you run a small business or work from home and have plenty of devices connected to the internet, then this is a solid option. You might need some technical knowledge for the more advanced features, but as a straight out-of-the-box option, it isn’t too difficult to work out, and will provide you not only with reliable internet, but a future-proof design and feature set that should last for years.
Should I buy a Fritz!Box 5690 Pro?
|
Value |
Initially looks expensive, until you make use of the full range of features |
4 / 5 |
|
Design |
Very neat and unique in design and style,though a little plasticky in build quality |
4 / 5 |
|
Features |
One of the most feature-packed routers on the market—supports a huge variety of devices |
5 / 5 |
|
Performance |
Excellent compatibility across the board, full performance potential only just touched on |
4.5 / 5 |
|
Overall |
Flexible router that enables far more than just connecting you to the internet |
4.5 / 5 |
Buy it if…
Don’t buy it if…
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