AVM FRITZ!Box 5590 Fiber Router Review

by

We present a complete analysis of the AVM FRITZ!Box 5590 Fiber router, the new top-of-the-range router from the manufacturer that incorporates a GPON fiber port to completely replace the router provided by our operator. This router has very powerful hardware, capable of providing us with great performance in any circumstance, in addition, we will have great versatility because this model can also function as a neutral router since we can use the dedicated 2.5G Multigigabit port for the Internet WAN . If you want to know everything that this new AVM router is capable of doing, which is the best fiber router you can buy today, then you will be able to read our complete analysis.

Index

  • Main features
    • Wifi
    • Wired and USB
    • Other features
    • FRITZ!OS Firmware
  • External analysis
  • Test laboratory
    • LAN-LAN tests
    • LAN-WAN tests
    • WiFi tests
      • 4GHz band
      • 5GHz band
      • Wireless Conclusions
    • USB 3.0 tests
      • USB 3.0 Conclusions
    • Setup Wizard
    • FRITZ!OS Firmware
      • Internet
      • Telephony
      • Local network
      • Wifi
      • Domotics
      • Diagnosis
      • System
      • Attendees
    • Last conclusions
      • Strengths
      • Weak points

Main features

This new Wi-Fi 6 router is included in the high range of AVM, not only will it provide us with great WiFi, cable and USB performance, but it also has a GPON port to directly connect the optical fiber, and without needing to use an external ONT or our operator’s router in bridge mode. This router could also work as a neutral router without any problem, however, if you need a neutral router, we believe that it would be more appropriate for you to buy the FRITZ!Box 4060 model since it is aimed at this type of use and has an additional frequency band in 5GHz.

AVM FRITZ!Box 5590 Fiber

€256.95

View deal

 

Wifi

The main wireless features of this new fiber router with GPON port is that it has simultaneous dual band with WiFi 6 and AX3600 class . In the 2.4GHz band we can achieve a speed of up to 1148Mbps, thanks to its four internal antennas in MU-MIMO 4T4R configuration, the 40MHz channel width and the Wi-Fi 6 standard. In the 5GHz band we can achieve a speed of up to 2402Mbps, we also have four internal antennas in MU-MIMO 4T4R configuration and Wi-Fi 6 standard. A very important detail is that this router can work in 4×4 mode with 80MHz channel width, or either in 2×2 configuration with 160MHz channel width, in this way, it can be perfectly adapted to the different WiFi clients that we connect to the router.In case of connecting clients with 160MHz support, we will be able to maximize the speed of WiFi, especially in laptops, smartphones or tablets because they generally have only two internal antennas.

The FRITZ!Box 5590 Fiber has all the usual features of the WiFi 6 standard, so we can achieve high wireless speed, very good coverage and great efficiency since it has the latest standard. Next, we are going to explain what features this new top-of-the-range AVM router has:

  • Beamforming : this function allows you to focus the wireless signal on the clients, therefore, they will have additional coverage to achieve better speed. This technology is noticeable in medium-long distances, so we will have a very good stability in these areas, and a little more real speed.
  • MU-MIMO – This feature allows information to be transferred to multiple WiFi clients at once, saving time on the air. This allows us to optimize the WiFi network when there are dozens of wireless clients connected and they support MU-MIMO, so we can obtain a higher speed globally in the WiFi network.
  • OFDMA : it is the star technology of WiFi 6, thanks to OFDMA we can optimize the WiFi network enormously to connect hundreds of WiFi clients without having problems of collapse in the network. The goal of this technology is to divide the channel into sub-channels and optimize data transfer and improve efficiency. Thanks to OFDMA we will have up to four times more capacity in the WiFi network compared to previous standards.
  • Target Wake Time : this technology allows you to put WiFi clients on standby in order to save energy, this is perfect for clients with battery (laptops, smartphones, tablets etc).

A very important feature is that this router also has FRITZ!Mesh , this means that we will be able to configure a complete high performance WiFi Mesh network , using other FRITZ!Box routers, FRITZ!Repeater wireless repeaters and we can even use PLC devices with the FRITZ!Powerlines. The FRITZ!OS operating system supports the 802.11k/v standards, in fact, it indicates it when we have different WiFi clients connected to the wireless network. In this way, we will be able to do WiFi roaming totally transparent between nodes, without any break in the WiFi connection to provide the best possible user experience.This router also incorporates Smart Connect or “Intelligent Connection”, so we can unify the two frequency bands (2.4GHz and 5GHz) so that the router places us in the best possible frequency band at a given time.

Regarding security, we have the possibility to configure both WPA2-Personal as well as WPA2/WPA3-Personal , of course, we have a «Connect/WPS» button to synchronize both the WiFi clients as well as the rest of the AVM devices to add them to the mesh network. Another interesting feature is that the guest WiFi network allows you to configure OWE as security, that is, the WiFi network will be open but with data encryption, a very important feature to provide security to clients connecting to the guest network.

Wired and USB

This new FRITZ! Box 5590 Fiber router is very complete at the wiring level. First of all, we have a SFP port with a SFP to GPON transceiver with LC connector , there is also a XGS-PON transceiver in case it is needed. Generally, FTTH operators in Spain use the SC fiber connector, in this case, the connector is LC, so we will need a fiber cable from LC (to connect it to the FRITZ!Box) to SC connector (to make the connection to the PTRO). This GPON port always acts as an Internet WAN, the firmware supports VLANs in the WAN, the possibility of placing the identifier to authenticate us in the OLT, and it also supports VoIP thanks to the internal switchboard.

This model also has a 2.5G Multigigabit port for the Internet WAN , in case you cannot use the fiber port because the router is not compatible with your operator, then you can use it as a neutral router until AVM releases an update and yes have support. Of course, the firmware also allows the use of VLANs in the Internet WAN of this port, and VoIP without any problem. Through the FRITZ!OS operating system we have the possibility to configure this 2.5G Multigigabit port as LAN , in this way, if you are going to use the SFP GPON port as WAN, you can use the WAN port as LAN to connect a NAS with port 2.5 G and make the most of its speed.

As for the LAN , we have a total of four Gigabit Ethernet ports , so we can get up to 1Gbps of speed in the equipment connected to these ports. The FRITZ!OS firmware allows us to configure the LAN port 4 as a guest network, in this way, we can not only connect wireless clients to the guest network, but also wired clients on this LAN port 4.

Lastly, this new router has a total of two high-performance USB 3.0 ports , one on the left side of the router and one on the back. Regarding the functions of this port, the FRITZ!OS still has the Samba servers, FTP, FTPES, DLNA media server and even connect 3G/4G modem to have a second Internet WAN, that is, the same characteristics and possibilities. always.

Other features

One of the strong points of the FRITZ!Box routers is IP telephony , in this case, we have two RJ-11 ports to connect analog telephones, and also a TAE connector. Of course, we have a DECT base inside the router to connect up to 6 cordless phones simultaneously, whether they are FRITZ!Fon from AVM or from other manufacturers, because DECT is a standard. In addition to cordless phones for VoIP, we can connect different home automation devices from the FRITZ!DECT family such as smart plugs, smart light bulbs, thermostatic valves, etc. The FRITZ!OS firmware has a specific section to handle this.

IP telephony in terms of configuration options and compatibility is as complete as ever, the truth is that AVM has done a great job in the world of IP telephony, because we have multiple configuration options to make it compatible with any service. Of course, we have an answering machine, fax, call forwarding, the possibility of managing analog and DECT telephones separately, internal calls and much more.

FRITZ!OS Firmware

This FRITZ!Box 5590 Fiber router has the same FRITZ!OS operating system with the same functions as always, when we analyzed this router the latest version of FRITZ!OS is 7.29. Very soon we will be able to enjoy the latest version 7.50 or higher, this new version stands out for having a very fast and friendly graphical user interface, more configuration options in the VPN section thanks to the incorporation of WireGuard, and hundreds of improvements internals to make the FRITZ!OS firmware one of the best for home routers.

In the following video you can see our unboxing and first impressions of this fiber router with built-in GPON port.

Once we know the technical characteristics of this new router, we go with the external analysis of the equipment so that you can see how it is.

External analysis

This new FRITZ!Box 5590 Fiber router comes in the typical blue box from the manufacturer AVM. On the front of the box we can see the exact model of the equipment, and also the main technical characteristics of this model, such as the fact that it incorporates a fiber optic port, it has WiFi 6 with simultaneous dual band and AX3600 class, we have Mesh WiFi for form a complete WiFi mesh network, we also have the characteristics of Ethernet and USB ports, as well as VoIP telephony with DECT and finally that it has the FRITZ! OS operating system.

On the back of the box we can see the main connections of the router, here we can see a small legend of what the different physical ports of the router are like the fiber port, the RJ-11 ports for analog telephones, the Ethernet ports for WAN/LAN and for LAN, as well as the power connector and the two USB 3.0 ports (one rear and one on the side). In the central part we can see the main features of this router in different languages, we have already explained these features in the introduction to the analysis. The most remarkable thing is the incorporation of the GPON port to connect the fiber directly.

On the right side of the box we can see the “Mesh WiFi” logo, that means that this router can form a complete high-performance mesh WiFi network, like the rest of AVM equipment. On the left side of the box we can see the exact model of the equipment, the CWMP account and other information.

Inside the box we can see the AVM FRITZ! Box 5590 Fiber router perfectly protected by the typical protective plastic, just above it we have the documentation included in the equipment. The contents of the box is as follows:

  • FRITZ!Box 5590 Fiber AVM Router
  • Current transformer with 12V and 2.5A, provides up to 30W of power.
  • Cat5e ethernet network cable.
  • Card with the explanation of the physical buttons and status LEDs of the router.
  • Router Quick Installation Guide.
  • Product guarantee.
  • Informative brochure with all AVM products for home networks.

Inside the box we can see a card with notes, the information we have here is quite important, because it explains what the three physical buttons on the router are for, and also what each and every one of the LEDs mean. router status. We have the information in both English and German, in addition, we can also find a sticker with the WiFi SSID network name of the router, the default WPA2 password as well as the password to access the equipment administration. Of course, we also have a QR code to scan with our smartphone or tablet and greatly facilitate the WiFi connection to start with the configuration.

In the quick installation guide that we have in this AVM FRITZ! Box 5590 Fiber router, we can see the contents of the package, how we must extract and insert the SFP transceiver to have the GPON port available, it will also teach us how to connect a PC or mobile to the WiFi network to start with the configuration, as well as the connection of analog or DECT telephones using a FRITZ!Fon. In this guide we can obtain all the necessary information to carry out the basic configuration, however, we must access the graphical user interface via the web to proceed with the complete configuration of the router.

In the documentation we can also find the manufacturing guarantee, as well as an information brochure with each and every one of the products of the AVM FRITZ! Familia. We have the FRITZ!Box routers with their main functions, the FRITZ!Fon cordless telephones, as well as the FRITZ!Repeater, the FRITZ!Powerline PLCs with WiFi and also the devices related to home automation that are the FRITZ!DECT. Of course, the manufacturer AVM informs us that all its equipment is compatible with Mesh WiFi to form a complete mesh WiFi network, in addition, we also have at our disposal the FRITZ! Apps for smartphones and tablets, as well as the FRITZ! OSoperating system.

As for the accessories that come with this router, we have the typical Cat5e category Ethernet network cable, and we also have the 12V and 2.5A current transformer, to provide a power of up to 30W maximum.

The LC to SC fiber cable did not come inside the box, but the manufacturer has sent it to us to be able to do the review correctly. In principle, this fiber cable should come with the contents of the box, but it may not come to you as it has happened to us, so you should take it into account when buying it. This fiber cable must have the same characteristics as the ones you see, 9/125 single mode and with an LC to SC connector.

This AVM FRITZ!Box 5590 Fiber router has the same design as always, nothing has changed in this regard. We have a white and red design, on the front we find the FRITZ!Box logo and also the different equipment status LEDs as well as the three action buttons. The explanation of what these buttons are for comes in the note card that we have mentioned before.

On the right side of the router we can see the TAE port for analog phones, on the left side of the router we can see the high-performance USB 3.0 port, which will allow us to share files and folders on the local home network and the Internet. We must remember that this model has a total of 2 USB 3.0 ports.

On the back of the FRITZ!Box 5590 Fiber router is where we have all the remaining ports of the equipment. From left to right we have the SFP port with the GPON transceiver, we also have two RJ-11 ports for analog phones, the 2.5G Multigigabit port for the Internet WAN, although it can also function as a LAN. In yellow we have the four Gigabit Ethernet ports for the LAN, next we have the power connector and finally the rear high performance USB 3.0 port.

Undoubtedly, the most remarkable thing about this new router is the incorporation of an SFP port and a SFP GPON transceiver, thanks to this device we can connect the optical fiber directly to the router, and later authenticate with the operator’s OLT and provide Internet connectivity.

If we remove the SFP transceiver, we can see that it is a normal SFP port. We can also see the two RJ-11 ports for analog phones. In the central part we have the 2.5G Multigigabit port for the Internet WAN, although the FRITZ!OS firmware allows us to configure this port as LAN, to have a faster local network port. Of course, we have a total of four dedicated Gigabit Ethernet ports for the LAN, the power connector and also the rear high-performance USB 3.0 port.

At the bottom of this router we find a large ventilation grille, we also have the corresponding holes to place it on the wall, and even the rubber pads so that it does not slide on flat surfaces. In this area of ​​the router we can see a sticker with the exact model of the equipment, we can also see that this router is the GPON edition, since there are others with AON and XGS-PON versions. In this sticker we will also see the SSID (WiFi network name by default), the default WPA2 password, the access key to the router administration, as well as the electrical characteristics to power the router, the serial number, the CWMP account and the QR code to access WiFi quickly and easily.

As you can see, this new AVM FRITZ!Box 5590 Fiber router is a really complete model, it will allow us to completely replace our operator’s router by having an SFP GPON port for the Internet WAN.

Test laboratory

In this test lab we are going to see the real performance of this router in different tests. On this occasion, we will do LAN-LAN, LAN-WAN tests, WiFi tests and also tests with the USB 3.0 port that we have in this new equipment. All the information about how we carry out the tests and the hardware used is available in our permanently updated test bench. If this is your first time seeing an analysis of ours, we recommend that you read it to find out how we do the tests. Next, you have all the tests carried out and the conclusions.

LAN-LAN tests

In these LAN tests we will use JPerf which is based on iperf2 to see how it behaves with multiple threads on the local network. This router has all the Gigabit Ethernet ports and a WAN/LAN port that is 2.5G Multigigabit, so the speed that we will achieve will be 1Gbps maximum when doing the performance tests, for this reason, we have used Jperf2 instead of iperf3. This last program is much better if we test with Multigigabit speeds or via Wi-Fi 6. This speed test allows us to know how the router will behave if we are going to transfer hundreds of files simultaneously through the local home network.

In the following screenshots you can see the performance we have achieved in the different tests:

We can conclude that the speed in 1G ports is outstanding globally. In the first three tests we have achieved excellent speed, clearly exceeding 100MB/s, however, in the last two tests we have achieved remarkable speed. In a real domestic scenario, it is very difficult for us to reach traffic greater than 750 concurrent TCP threads, but the performance we have achieved is what it is.

If we do the same test using the WAN port as a LAN at 2.5G, and a LAN port at 1G, we can see that the performance in the first test is excellent, however, in the rest of the tests the performance is remarkable. We believe that AVM needs to improve the firmware to provide higher performance in this scenario, it would normally provide the same performance as in the previous test.

In the following table you can see a summary of all the values ​​we have achieved:

LAN-LAN wires 100 250 500 750 1000
AVM FRITZ!Box 5590 Fiber – 1G Ports 113MB/s 112MB/s 113MB/s 84.6MB/s 77.3MB/s
AVM FRITZ!Box 5590 Fiber – 2.5G and 1G port 110MB/s 79.2MB/s 59.9MB/s 60.7MB/s 60.7MB/s

LAN-LAN Conclusions

As you can see, the global speed that we have achieved for all the tests is outstanding in a global way. AVM has never been noted for providing great performance in this LAN-LAN test, but then actual operation on a home LAN is optimal, so we don’t think you’ll have any problems if you’re going to transfer hundreds of GB on the local network using its Gigabit ports or the 2.5G Multigigabit port.

LAN-WAN tests

In this performance test we are going to simulate how this router would behave intensively with P2P programs facing the Internet, in this case, the router incorporates hardware NAT and the firmware incorporates this feature, therefore, we expect a great wired speed in this aspect. In addition, we must bear in mind that the FRITZ!OS operating system is highly optimized for intensive use of the Internet connection.

In the following screenshots you can see the performance we have achieved in the different tests, from the typical 100 concurrent TCP threads to 1000 concurrent TCP threads.

In the following table you can see a summary of all the values ​​we have achieved:

LAN-WAN wires 100 250 500 750 1000
AVM FRITZ!Box 5590 Fiber – WAN 2.5G Multigigabit – LAN 1G 106MB/s 105MB/s 100MB/s 63.3MB/s 56.9MB/s

LAN-WAN Conclusions

The global speed that we have achieved for all the tests is outstanding in a global way. In the first three tests we have obtained an excellent speed, achieving more than 100MB/s without any problem, from the test of 750 TCP threads the performance drops a little to approximately 60MB/s, which is a remarkable performance. In a real home scenario, we will never get as many concurrent connections, so we don’t have to worry, since we will always get the maximum possible performance that our Internet operator provides us.

WiFi tests

It’s time to find out if the Wi-Fi 6 performance of this FRITZ!Box 5590 Fiber router is up to the best, or if it is below. We will be able to know the level of wireless coverage as well as the real WiFi speed that we will achieve at home, and all this both in the 2.4GHz band and in the 5GHz band. The FRITZ!OS firmware, unlike other manufacturers, allows us to configure the frequency bands separately, to choose ourselves which WiFi frequency bands to connect to.

The physical stage of the tests is the same as always, as you can see here:

The iperf3 server is located in the local network on a NAS server that is connected via cable to the LAN network on the 2.5G Multigigabit port, so we should not have a bottleneck in the wired network. The WiFi client that we will use is the Intel AX210, an AX3000-class WiFi 6 dual-band card, and that supports 160MHz of channel width, so the theoretical maximum speed is up to 2.4Gbps, although we anticipate that we have achieved the actual speed record with this router.

2.4GHz band

In this 2.4GHz frequency band we can achieve up to 1,148Mbps in theory with this wireless router. However, the Intel AX210 card is of the AX3000 class, so the maximum throughput that we are going to achieve will be 574Mbps theoretically, since it only has two internal antennas and not four antennas.

Here you have the results with the iperf3 client-server with 20 concurrent TCP threads, and using the Intel AX210 card.

AVM FRITZ!Box 5590 Fiber lounge Kitchen main room room 2 Penthouse
Intel AX210 AX3000 Sync: 574Mbps
Speed: 53.7MB/s		 Sync: 260Mbps
Speed: 7.8MB/s		 Sync: 172Mbps
Speed: 13.2MB/s		 Sync: 34Mbps
Speed: 1.0MB/s		 Sync: 60Mbps
Speed: 1.0MB/s

As you can see, this router is capable of providing a very good wireless speed, clearly exceeding the real 400Mbps, great news because this frequency band is really collapsed. In medium-far places, the speed is logically lower, but it is what is expected taking into account the circumstances.

5GHz band

In the 5GHz frequency band is where we are going to get the best possible WiFi performance. In this router we have configured the 5GHz band with low channels, we will be able to achieve a speed of up to 2,402Mbps, thanks to its four internal antennas in 4×4, however, it can also work in 2×2 mode with 160MHz width channel. This last feature is very important to provide the best wireless performance to customers. For example, we have used the Intel AX210 card that allows us to achieve up to 2,402Mbps in the 5GHz band, as long as the router supports 160MHz of channel width.

Here you have the results with the iperf3 client-server with 20 concurrent TCP threads, and using the Intel AX210 card.

AVM FRITZ!Box 5590 Fiber lounge Kitchen main room room 2 Penthouse
Intel AX210 AX3000 Sync: 2400Mbps
Speed: 195MB/s		 Sync: 1200Mbps
Speed: 72.4MB/s		 Sync: 681Mbps
Speed: 54.6MB/s		 Sync: 88Mbps
Speed: 6.1MB/s		 Sync: 15Mbps
Speed: 1.1MB/s

As you can see, this router is capable of providing a very high Wi-Fi speed, since we have reached 195MB/s or 1.55Gbps in real terms. This speed is currently the record for all routers we have tested to date. In addition, in medium-remote environments, the behavior of this equipment is simply spectacular, it is one of the best WiFi routers that we have tested so far.

Wireless Conclusions

In the 2.4GHz band, this AVM FRITZ!Box 5590 Fiber router has performed excellently in all tests, achieving more than 400Mbps in real locations near the router. The speed that we have achieved in medium-far places has also been very good considering the circumstances, since this frequency band is very saturated by interference from neighbors.

In the 5GHz band, it has performed excellently, achieving higher speeds of more than 1,500Mbps real, a true record for a home WiFi router. Currently this is the fastest WiFi router we have tested so far, the decision to use 80MHz or 160MHz of channel width in this router has made us achieve a really spectacular speed. In addition, in medium-far places it has also behaved excellently, both in real speed achieved and in connection stability, for which we are in luck.

USB 3.0 tests

This router has two high-performance USB 3.0 ports, and the FRITZ!OS firmware has many services to get the most out of it. In these tests we have used a USB 3.2 Gen 2 10Gbps enclosure, and an NVMe SSD drive with the NTFS file system, to perform all the performance tests, both read and write with the different protocols it supports. We will carry out the measurements with the Samba server that the router incorporates, via FTP and FTPES, of course, the PC is connected to the 2.5Gbps speed LAN so as not to have any bottleneck.

Samba in USB 3.0 port

  • NTFS-> Read: 170MB/s; Write: 150MB/s.

FTP on USB 3.0 port

  • NTFS-> Read: 280MB/s; Write: 172MB/s.

FTPES on USB 3.0 port

  • NTFS-> Read: 15MB/s; Write: 14.3MB/s.

DLNA on USB 3.0 port

The operation of the DLNA media server has been perfect, because the processor of this router is really powerful and the firmware is very well optimized. Taking into account the Samba tests, FTP/FTPES it was clear that the operation was going to be perfect.

Below is a comparison table:

AVM FRITZ!Box 5590 Fiber reading speed writing speed
USB 3.0 – Samba 170MB/s 150MB/s
USB 3.0-FTP 280MB/s 172MB/s
USB 3.0 – FTPES 15MB/s 14.3MB/s

USB 3.0 Conclusions

This FRITZ!Box 5590 Fiber router has performed excellently both in reading and writing in the USB tests. This new router has obtained the record for FTP reading speed, reaching up to 280MB/s, more typical of a high-end NAS server than a WiFi router like this model. The truth is that we are pleasantly surprised by the performance we have achieved with this team, it is truly spectacular.

Regarding the performance of FTPES, it is also very high considering that we do not have a processor with AES-NI, this speed is what is expected in a high-end router that has a very powerful processor. The FTPES configuration is the most secure possible: TLS 1.3 for the control connection and AES-256-GCM for the data connection. Thanks to this FTPES protocol we can connect from the Internet to the router securely, to have maximum point-to-point confidentiality.

Once we know everything that this FRITZ! Box 5590 Fiber router is capable of, we are going to see the configuration wizard and also the firmware incorporated in this router.

SetupWizard

The configuration wizard of this AVM FRITZ! Box 5590 Fiber router is similar to the usual one, although this time it is somewhat “reduced”, since we do not have all the usual menus. In this way, this configuration wizard is shorter and will take us directly to the FRITZ!OS firmware to proceed with the configuration of the «Internet» part.

The first thing we must do is connect the router to the current, and with a network cable connect our PC to the router in a LAN port. We also have the option of connecting via WiFi directly to the router, without the need for cables. Once we are connected, we put fritz.box in the browser bar and press “enter”, however, we can also put the IP address 192.168.178.1 directly to access this wizard via the web.

In the first menu we will have to choose our language, Spanish, then we must also choose our region, in this case Spain. Once chosen, we click on “Next” and the router will automatically restart to apply the changes we have just made.

When the router has rebooted, it will ask us for the router’s default login password again, after which we can anonymously send error reports and diagnostic data to AVM to upgrade the firmware. The setup wizard will then take you directly to the FRITZ!OS firmware to proceed with the Internet setup. We will have the typical «Access data» menu where we can configure the connection data (PPPoE or dynamic IP), the VLAN for the Internet WAN, the real download and upload bandwidth so that internally it configures the QoS correctly, etc. .

As you can see, the web configuration wizard of this router is very simple, in fact, to configure the Internet part, it takes us directly to the FRITZ!OS menu to make all the necessary settings and obtain an Internet connection through from the GPON fiber port or through the dedicated 2.5G port.

FRITZ!OS Firmware

The firmware of this FRITZ!Box 5590 router is version 7.29, we still do not have version 7.50 or higher, which will bring great news and the new AVM graphical user interface. In our analysis of the FRITZ!Box 7590 AX we show you what the new graphical user interface will be like, which we already have in beta, however, for this model we still do not have a beta firmware, so we have the same graphical interface as always .

In the main menu we can see the model of the equipment, the energy consumption and the firmware version of the equipment. We can also see the Internet and telephony connections, we can also see the different physical interfaces such as the GPON port, the WAN Ethernet port, the LAN port, WiFi, DECT and USB. Likewise, we also have information related to incoming and outgoing calls that have recently occurred, if we have any messages on the answering machine, as well as the equipment that we have connected to the local network and other services such as the phone book and storage NAS.

In the upper right part we can go directly to the FRITZ! NAS part to manage the files and folders of the USB drive that we can connect, we also have the MyFRITZ! where we can see the status of the router from the cloud, as well as close the session or see the graphical user interface in basic or advanced mode.

Internet

In this ” Internet ” section is where we can configure everything related to the Internet connection, either through the GPON port or through the 2.5G Multigigabit port for the Internet WAN.

In the « Internet Monitor » menu is where we can see the status of the connection, we can know the public IP address, the DNS servers used as well as the download and upload bandwidth that is currently being used. We can also see and configure a data counter to cut the connection when we reach a certain threshold.

In the ” Access data ” section is where we have to configure our Internet connection. In the case of the FRITZ!Box 5590 we have two possible WANs, either through the fiber optic port to connect a fiber cable directly to the PTRO, or use the router’s Internet WAN port to access the Internet. In the case of the first option, we will need to put the password of the OLT that we can extract from the operator’s router in some cases, if we do not have this authentication key in the OLT we cannot use the fiber port of the router.

In « Filters » is where we can configure parental control in detail, and it is that we are going to be able to limit any wired or WiFi device to have or not access to the Internet. In addition, we will be able to create different access profiles to later apply it to the different clients that we have in the local network. We also have the possibility of prioritizing network traffic, the equipment that we want, and even making a list of different types of network traffic that are allowed or denied.

In the “ Allow access ” section we can configure port forwarding, that is, the typical “open ports” that we all know. We can also access the different FRITZ!Box services such as activating FTP/FTPES access via the Internet WAN, and also access HTTPS access to the router administration through the Internet. In this menu we can configure the digital certificate to use, if we want to use a DynDNS (dynamic DNS) from any provider, as well as the built-in VPN server based on IPsec. A very important detail is that in the next version 7.50 or higher, in this VPN menu we will find the WireGuard protocol, so we will have a very secure and fast VPN protocol.

In the menu « MyFRITZ! » We can register an email to access the router through the AVM cloud, the public IP address and the DynDNS domain will appear permanently. We can also see the firmware version we have on the Mesh network, the number of connected FRITZ!Fon devices, and other information. An important aspect is that the MyFRITZ! does not have a reverse connection, that is, if we want to manage our router it must be directly, so we need to have a public IP on the Internet WAN.

In the ” Information about the connection ” section is where we can see the status of the ONT. We will be able to see the OLT to which we are connected, at what speed we are connected, the temperature of the SFP, graphs with said temperature and more internal information as well as very advanced configuration of the PON, which we should not touch unless you know what you are making.

As you can see, the “Internet” menu is really complete and will allow us to configure our connection in detail.

telephony

In the « Telephony » menu is where we will be able to administer and manage everything related to IP telephony, either through the analog RJ-11 ports, or through the DECT base that this wireless router incorporates. From here we can register the different telephone numbers that we have, register or cancel telephone devices such as FRITZ!Fon. We will also be able to see a complete list of calls received, sent, missed calls, the answering machine, the phone book, alarm, fax and the possibility of managing calls with the corresponding call forwarding.

One of the features that we like the most about the FRITZ!Box is the ease of configuring the telephony part, the truth is that it is really easy to configure all the parameters, and we have a multitude of options so that we have fully guaranteed compatibility.

Local network

In the « Mesh Network » menu we can see the general status of the AVM manufacturer’s mesh network, here we can see a diagram with all the devices connected by WiFi and cable, we can also see if we have other FRITZ! Box routers or WiFi repeaters connected mode of wireless extenders in the network with Mesh. Of course, we will be able to see the cable and WiFi synchronization speed of the different devices.

In this menu we can also configure our router as a Mesh base (by default) as well as a Mesh repeater, so that the router we are configuring acts as a repeater and not as the main router.

In the « Network » section we will be able to see a complete list of each and every one of the devices connected to the local network, whether they are wired or WiFi devices. We can add devices manually by putting the MAC address with the private IP address that we want, we can also remove any of the devices that we have connected and that we are no longer using.

In the « Network configuration » tab we can configure the LAN port 4 to act as a guest network, just like the WiFi network. We can also configure the maximum synchronization speed of the different ports, likewise, we can also share different services on the local network, configure the NTP server for the time and even configure the protection against DNS rebinding, with the possibility of adding exceptions. Finally, we could also change the IPv4 configuration for the main LAN, as well as add a static route to reach other subnets.

In the « USB / Memory » menu is where we will see the removable storage devices, in this menu we can enable the Samba server and also the FTP/FTPES server. It is very important that we set in the router that we want to use the «Power mode USB 3.0» mode in the USB ports, otherwise, we will have a maximum speed of USB 2.0. Finally, we can also configure everything related to the “Remote USB Connection” to use printer, USB storage, scanner and more.

In the “Multimedia server” section we can activate the DLNA media server for the playback of content on the local network, we can also configure Internet radio and Podcast, as is usual in all AVM FRITZ! Box routers.

A very important aspect of AVM with FRITZ!OS is that we have a large number of configuration options at the network level.

Wifi

In the « Wireless network » section we can configure the SSID for the two WiFi frequency bands, we have the possibility of enabling Smart Connect to put the same SSID in both frequency bands. We can also see the name of the WiFi or hide it if we want. Other configurations that we can make are to activate or deactivate the frequency bands that we want.

In the ” WiFi Channel ” menu we can configure the channels and the configuration completely automatically, although we also have the possibility of carrying out a somewhat more manual configuration, to activate or deactivate the available options and that are under our control. In this menu we can see both in 2.4GHz and in 5GHz the different WiFi interferences that we have in the environment.

In the “Security ” menu is where we can define the password for access to the WiFi network, and also which protocol to choose, whether WPA2 or WPA2/WPA3 to provide the best possible security. Here we can also activate the AVM Stick & Surf, if we want wireless devices to be able to communicate with each other, and we can even configure MAC filtering. In the “WPS fast connection” tab we can activate or deactivate the WPS functionality of the router, you should know that if you deactivate WPS you will not be able to add new devices to the AVM Mesh network.

In the « Timer » menu we can activate or deactivate the WiFi network at a certain time, this is perfect for turning off the WiFi network at night or when we are not at home. However, the most normal thing is to leave the WiFi network always on, because at home we will have many home automation devices that depend on a connection to the WiFi network, either for internal traffic from the local network if you have something like Home Assistant, or through Internet.

Finally, we have the « Guest Access » to create a guest WiFi network, we can create it with an access password with WPA2 or WPA2/WPA3, but we can also configure a public WiFi access zone without a password. A very important aspect is that this router supports OWE to provide point-to-point data encryption but without authentication.

As you can see, at the WiFi level we have a large number of configuration options available.

Domotics

In the « Home automation » section we can see all the FRITZ!DECT devices that we have registered, in this menu we can configure different automations for smart plugs, smart light bulbs and other types of devices related to home automation in a fairly advanced way.

A positive point is that we will be able to add our FRITZ! Box router to Home Assistant in a very simple way, and we also have a certain level of control of what is happening in the router.

Diagnosis

In this menu we can run a test to review all the functions and settings of our FRITZ!Box router, we can see a global view of all the settings made in the router. We can also see everything related to the security of the computer, if we have access from the Internet activated and much more.

These diagnostic tests are quite useful once we have completely configured our router, to find out if we have forgotten to activate a function or if we have opened more ports than we need.

System

In this “System” menu we can see a complete record of everything that happens in the router, we can also see the power monitor to see the power consumption of the router, as well as the status of the CPU and RAM memory of the equipment. Other options that we can see are those of notifications, and that is when we have MyFRITZ! plus.

In the FRITZ!Box routers we can configure and register different users with different permissions, we have a main user who is the administrator, but then we also have the possibility of adding other users as administrators, or who can only access different services such as NAS, to VPN etc. Of course, we have the possibility to add a two-step authentication to increase the security of the equipment, this is perfect to avoid cybercriminals.

In the “Buttons and indicators” menu is where we can configure the “Info” button of the device, we can also activate or deactivate all the status LEDs, as well as deactivate the physical buttons in order to prevent someone from pressing them in a way accidental.

In the “Region and language” section we can see the configuration made in the configuration wizard, here we could change the language and also the region whenever we want. Of course, we can also change the time zone without problems.

The “Protection” menu is where we can save the current router configuration, restore the current router configuration, restart the computer, and also restore the FRITZ!Box to factory settings.

Finally, in the “Update” menu we can configure the update policy of the FRITZ!OS operating system. We can also update the firmware through the Cloud, load a specific firmware that we have previously downloaded, etc.

Once we have seen all the firmware menus in detail, we are going to see what configuration wizards we have available to help us make different configurations.

Attendees

In the ” Wizards ” menu is where we can configure various aspects of the router in the form of a step-by-step configuration wizard, ideal for basic users who do not know much about networks or routers. With these configuration wizards we can register new telephone devices, the telephone numbers in the switchboard, check the status of the new FRITZ!Box router, check the security of the equipment, save and restore the configuration, update the FRITZ!OS to the latest version available, and even configure the notification service.

So far we have arrived with our analysis of the firmware of this AVM FRITZ! Box 5590 Fiber router, a really complete model with a built-in GPON port to connect the fiber directly. Now we are going to see the final conclusions of this router, where we will also talk about the strengths and weaknesses of this equipment.

Last conclusions

This new FRITZ!Box 5590 Fiber router is the best you can buy right now to replace your fiber optic operator’s router. This is a very powerful and complete AVM router, because not only does it have a GPON port to connect the fiber directly , but it also has a 2.5G Multigigabit port for the Internet WAN, so it can function as a neutral router without any from problems. In addition, we have the possibility to configure this 2.5G port for the WAN as a LAN, ideal for connecting a high-performance NAS server and using it as a private cloud.

The LAN-LAN performance that we have achieved with this router has been outstanding globally. We have passed all the tests with great performance and stability, although in the latest tests from 750 concurrent TCP threads the speed is somewhat lower, however, in a domestic environment we will never reach this level of network traffic so high, so there is no problem. Regarding LAN-WAN performanceIt has also been outstanding, achieving a very good speed in the first three tests, but somewhat less in the following ones with a greater number of threads, however, there is no problem because we have verified that the firmware is very stable at all times. The only thing we miss is that we don’t have an additional 2.5G Multigigabit LAN port, to achieve Multigigabit speed on the local network.

Regarding WiFi coverage and speed , it has been excellent in every way. This WiFi router is one of the best we have tested so far. In the 2.4GHz band it has behaved perfectly, achieving more than 400Mbps real in nearby places, although in medium-far places the speed has been lower due to interference with other WiFi networks, but we have passed the test in all the locations. In the 5GHz band is where this router shines by itself, and that is that we have achieved more than 1,500Mbps real in this frequency band, using the Intel AX210 with 160MHz of channel width, since this router supports 4 × 4 with 80MHz or 2×2 with 160MHz channel width. This team is simply the best we have tested in WiFi.

The speed of the USB 3.0 port with NTFS file system has been simply excellent . We have achieved the maximum performance that a router can provide today, and that is that we have achieved an FTP speed of up to 280MB/s in reading and 172MB/s in writing, a true record. Something that we would like to highlight is that the FTPES server is also very fast, since we have achieved about 15MB/s in reading and writing, in addition, we have TLS 1.3 with AES-256-GCM to adequately protect communications.

This FRITZ!Box 5590 Fiber incorporates the FRITZ!OS 7.29 firmware with the same configuration options and services as always, however, in a few months we will see the new version with 7.50 or higher, where we will have the WireGuard VPN protocol among others lots of exciting enhancements for AVM router users. Of course, this FRITZ!OS incorporates all the usual options and services that you have seen in the firmware analysis part.

Strengths

  • Outstanding LAN-LAN performance globally, we have achieved great wired performance in almost all tests, you will not have problems in the local network even if you transfer a large number of files.
  • Outstanding LAN-WAN performance globally, including the test of 1,000 TCP threads that we have passed with good speed without problems.
  • Wi-Fi performance in the 2.4GHz band excellent, we have obtained a speed of more than 400Mbps real. Vertical and horizontal coverage is also outstanding.
  • Wi-Fi performance in the 5GHz band excellent. In places close to the router we have achieved more than 1500Mbps of speed, the current record of all routers tested. In medium and remote places we have achieved very good coverage, and also very good speed.
  • Excellent USB 3.0 performance, we have managed to reach 280MB/s in reading and 170MB/s in writing, we also have the record.
  • Everything related to telephony works as usual, the FRITZ!OS is really complete in this regard.
  • Basic step-by-step configuration wizard but in Spanish, it will allow us to configure the router in a couple of minutes.
  • The FRITZ!OS firmware is as complete as ever, although we will soon see a complete firmware update.
  • Connect/WPS button to synchronize the devices easily and quickly, allows you to add a repeater to the Mesh network in a simple way.
  • Outstanding price: the price of this router is 280 euros, a very competitive price if we take into account that it has a GPON port, WiFi 6 and a 2.5G port for WAN/LAN. The price is really competitive.

Weak points

  • It does not support VLANs per port for IPTV from different operators, nor does it have the triple VLAN of Movistar FTTH.

The price of this router is around €280, a price that we consider really good, because it is the top of the range of the brand and we have obtained great performance with it. In addition, we must bear in mind that it has a GPON port built into its SFP, so we can completely replace our operator’s router, although we can always use the 2.5G port for the Internet WAN in case we cannot put the fiber .

AVM FRITZ!Box 5590 Fiber

€273.52

view deal

 

Our evaluation of this AVM FRITZ!Box 5590 Fiber Wi-Fi router after thoroughly testing its performance, checking all the options of its FRITZ!OS 7.29 firmware, and the price, is 10/10 .

We hope you liked the analysis, if you have any questions you can leave us a comment and we will be happy to answer.

AVM FRITZ!Box 5590 Fiber

Wi-Fi Features Simultaneous dual-band AX3600 (up to 1148Mbps on 2.4GHz and up to 2402Mbps on 5GHz)
Ethernet ports 1 2.5G Multigigabit port for WAN/LAN, 4 Gigabit Ethernet LA ports
USB 3.0 ports yes, two ports
Wi-Fi Mesh AVM FRITZ!Mesh

the best

  • Hardware features of the router, with GPON port, WiFi 6 and 2.5G port.
  • Outstanding LAN-LAN and LAN-WAN performance, we have very good performance.
  • Wi-Fi performance in 2.4GHz and 5GHz excellent, we get a very high Wi-Fi speed.
  • Excellent USB 3.0 performance, setting the speed record for reading
  • Telephony with analog ports and very complete DECT base.
  • FRITZ!OS operating system as complete as ever
  • Outstanding value for money, it is worth €280 and it is a GPON router.

Worst

  • It does not have support for VLAN per port or triple VLAN of Movistar FTTH

WiFi performance

9.5

Wired Performance

9

USB 3.0 performance

10

Configuration options

10

Easy to use

10

Price

9.5

 

Related Posts: