FritzBox 7390 by AVM: The custom-built router.
Many will already be wondering why on earth to talk about a router, we used a purely automotive term as the opening title of this review; well know that the comparison is not suitable to describe only the extravagant ferrari red look or the soft and tapered lines of its design: "custom-built" is the best term to define this German product Shopping Mall , both for the extraordinary speed skills, and for the endless series of integrated functions but also and above all because, in a sector dominated by the usual suspects (Netgear, Linksys and Dlink above all), this little gem of German technique, stands "Über Alles ”, tearing up the competition and making itself almost irreplaceable once its extraordinary potential has been released.
Il Fritz! Box 7390 is the flagship product of the series Fritz! Box by AVM and certainly represents the best of home router / modem technology currently out there. IL 7390 is an ADSL 2+ modem router operating on 802.11bgn wifi standard at 2.4ghz and 5 ghz. The integrated antennas do not affect its range which is at the top as regards the 2.4ghz frequency, as shown by the comparative graphs you find below, and for the 5ghz frequency where only the LynkSys WAG320N can match its performance.
Our tests showed that while the network reach between floors, compared to other products in our availability, (Netgear Rangemax DG834N and Lynksys WAG320N) increased slightly, the horizontal range and stability (and therefore the speed) of the line has increased considerably, allowing you to reach areas previously only touched by the range of our wifi LAN.
As for the connections, the device is equipped with a DSL / telephone input, connection for 2 telephones, ISDN connection, 2 USB ports, one of which on the side and 4 gigabit Ethernet ports.
The connections on the back reveal one of the most important features of the German product: unity DECT for VOIP features. In fact, two traditional telephones can be connected to the Fritz! Box 7390 which, automatically, will be transformed into perfect VOIP telephones, without this entailing giving up your traditional telephone line.
As an alternative to using a product you already own, you can also purchase a VoIP solution from AVM, the Fritz! FON, which will add a myriad of new features to your VOIP network. In our test we used the VoIP telephony service Messagenet able to provide a local phone number for free, and without the need for a subscription or minimum monthly top-up. Once the service was set in the “Telephony” menu of the router, thanks to the Fritz! FON we were able to perfectly replace our traditional telephone line, without regrets; through the router software it will be possible to have access to the list of incoming and outgoing calls, set up an answering machine, a shared address book, manage multiple telephone devices and telephone numbers, create a black list of incoming telephone numbers and output, all without penalizing for a moment the quality of the calls, which on the contrary is enhanced by the G.722 codec of the telephone which is able to offer crystal clear calls. The buffer is good and even if you are forced to answer while downloading very important files, the call is still possible. In some cases, but this is solely due to the quality of our home connections, the audio could result in the metallic interlocutor, especially if your ADSL connection does not exceed 2mbit and you are engaged in the "important" downloads mentioned above.
The design and screen of the phone are perfect and the device is definitely worth the purchase price (around 90 euros) given also the build quality, the design, the ability to manage email accounts, to be displayed on the bright color screen and internet radios (both functions to be configured with the router software). The only note on the VOIP mode of this device concerns the impossibility of importing the address book of the computer (mac or windows that is) or from the mobile phone, directly into the router. However, more than on the phone, which acts as a simple intermediary between you and the extraordinary functionality of the router, congratulations should be made to the 7390. It goes without saying that the Fritz! Box 7390 can also be used to receive faxes (voice-to-mail and fax-to-mail), by configuring the appropriate service via the web interface.
The fritz! Box 7390 as well as a VOIP device, can also be used as a mediaserver, by connecting a HDD to one of the two USB ports, the device will act as an FTP or SMB server allowing you to have access to all your documents within the network, including music and movies. If this is not enough for some important data you can even use the internal memory of the router: 512mb at your complete disposal.
The Fritz! Box 7390 is also able to manage 3G connections simply by connecting your router on a key to one of the two USB ports, an interesting feature for those who are not covered by an ADSL network but need to share the internet access. It goes without saying that a printer can also be connected to the USB port so that this becomes fully available for other computers on the network, mac or pc they are.
