FRITZ!Box routers from the German manufacturer AVM are known as reliable multifunctional routers, they have an internet modem, WiFi and a telephone system. In addition to all these features, the new FRITZ!Box 5690 Pro also equipped with a Zigbee gateway and two modems for a DSL and fiber optic connection.
Two modems have the advantage that you do not have to buy a new router if you want to switch from a DSL to fiber optic connection in the future. In recent weeks we have tested the latest FRITZ!Box from AVM in practice on our KPN internet connection.
FRITZ!Box 5690 Pro
When setting up the FRITZ!Box, select the connection you want to use for your internet connection, DSL or fiber optic. Unfortunately, it is not possible to use both connections in parallel or as a fallback option. However, in certain (business) situations this could be very useful.
The FRITZ!Box 5690 Pro has a new design that is placed upright, unlike most other FRITZ!Boxes that have to be placed horizontally. The top right corner of the FRITZ!Box has a red bar with buttons for the WLAN and Connect function. These are fewer buttons than others on FRITZ!Boxes. The Connect button has been given a double function for connecting both DECT/FON and WiFi devices via WPS.
On a VDSL connection, the modem can use super vectoring, which means the 5690 Pro can deliver download speeds of up to 300 Mbit/s. A four-meter DSL connection cable is included with the router.
A fiber optic connection can be used without any problems on the 5690 Pro, there is support for GPON or older AON connections. Fiber optic SFP modules are included in the package for both connections. You place the AON or GPON SFP module in the intended slot (SFP) on the back of the FRITZ!Box. If you do not want to connect the FRITZ!Box directly to fiber optic, you can connect the WAN port to your provider’s media converter (NT) with a UTP cable. The WAN port supports speeds of up to 2.5 Gbit, the other LAN ports a maximum of 1 Gbit.
WiFi 7 support
The 5690 Pro supports the current WiFi 7 standard based on the 6 GHz frequency with 320 MHz channels. Up to four MIMO connections are available, allowing maximum transfer speeds of 11.53 Gbit/s to be achieved. In addition, WiFi 7 also uses the 5 GHz frequency, with a maximum channel width of 160 MHz. This allows a maximum transfer speed of 5.76 Gbit/s to be achieved.
However, the FRITZ!Box 5690 Pro does not offer the full WiFi 7 experience in terms of maximum throughput speeds. On 2.4 GHz, WiFi 6 is used with a data rate of 1.2 Gbit/s instead of the 1.4 Gbit/s that is possible with WiFi 7. This means that the 2.4 GHz frequency cannot be used. for Multi-Link Operation (MLO), which is required by WiFi 7. Clients that support it can connect simultaneously via 5 and 6 GHz. This allows the use of a more stable frequency for data transmission with MLSR (Multi Link Single Radio). Higher speeds can be achieved by combining both frequencies with MLMR (Multi Link Multi Radio).
WiFi band steering is also present on the 5690 Pro, this is a function that automatically connects devices to the most suitable WiFi frequency band. It analyzes factors such as signal strength, distance from the router and network traffic. Devices nearby are often sent to the faster 5 GHz band, while devices further away use the 2.4 GHz band for better range. Band steering improves network performance of your WiFi network by evenly distributing devices across the available bands, making the network more stable, especially in households with multiple devices.
Using iPhone 16 on WiFi 7
There are currently few devices that support WiFi 7. The iPhone 16 is the first Apple device to support the new WiFi 7 standard. Apple has limited Wi-Fi 7 functionality on the iPhone 16 by limiting the channel width to 160MHz instead of the maximum 320MHz required for full speed. This makes the speeds comparable to WiFi 6E. The multilink (MLO) application bundles 5 GHz and 6 GHz into a WiFi 7 signal, as you can see in the example below. The result is a total throughput speed of 2.5 Gbit/s at a distance of about five meters from the router. Closer to the router we achieved speeds of up to 4.8 Gbit/s via MLO.
Of course, these are the high speeds achieved by the FRITZ!Box 5690 Pro, but you will only benefit from this on your own internal network. Do not expect this to make your internet connection faster, as you are limited to the maximum internet speed of your connection.
Connection options FRITZ!box 5690 Pro
The FRITZ!Box 5690 Pro is equipped with a 2.5 Gbit WAN connection and four LAN connections with a maximum transfer speed of 1 Gbit. You can adjust the speed of the WAN and LAN ports in the web interface to save energy.
A maximum of 6 cordless DECT telephones can be connected to the built-in telephone system of the FRITZ!Box. In addition, an RJ11 and (German) TAE connection is available on the back for connecting a landline telephone. It is also possible to connect so-called FRITZ!Fon devices, which are wireless WiFi devices that work via the SIP protocol.
What is remarkable about the 5690 Pro is that there is only a single USB port. You can use the USB port for extra storage space if you use the NAS (file and media server) features. The USB port is still the old type A and supports USB 3.1, which works with a super-fast read speed of up to 240 Mbit/s. Ideal for connecting an external SSD or memory stick.
However, on a Pro device we would have expected several fast USB ports, of which at least one of the new USB-C type. Especially if you use a USB dongle on the mobile network, a single USB port is not enough.
Support for Zigbee devices
In the field of smart home, the FRITZ!Box 5690 Pro holds its own. It is possible to add up to 50 DECT ULE-based devices to the FRITZ!Box. The devices are sold under the name FRITZ!Dect and include smart switches, lamps and temperature sensors. The DECT ULE standard is not very popular in the Netherlands, unlike in its home country Germany.
The 5690 Pro is one of the first Fritz!Boxes that also has a built-in Zigbee gateway. This makes it possible to connect all kinds of Zigbee products, such as HUE or IKEA lighting, to the FRITZ!Box. To use this, Fritz!OS 7.90 or newer must be installed.
During our test period we added a Philips HUE lamp to the FRITZ!Box. It took a few attempts to make the connection. Once logged in, you can operate the device via the web interface and the special FRITZ Smart Home app. You can find one on the AVM website complete list can be found with supported Zigbee devices.
Built-in WireGuard VPN server
Like all recent FRITZ!Boxes, the 5690 Pro is also equipped with a Wireguard server. WireGuard is a modern VPN protocol that focuses on speed, simplicity and security. Wireguard works more efficiently than older protocols such as IPsec and OpenVPN. It uses advanced cryptography to encrypt data within a VPN tunnel, ensuring a high level of security.
All this makes it possible to create a VPN connection to your home network, wherever you are. You activate WireGuard VPN access in your user account, after which the connection information will appear or you scan the QR code. After setting up, you can immediately create a secure VPN connection via the internet with your FRITZ!Box and the underlying home network.
The Fritz!box 5690 Pro in practice
The 5690 Pro we received from AVM was equipped with Fritz!OS version 7.20. The Zigbee functionality has not yet been activated. In addition, there are a number of annoying bugs present in this version. It often happens that the router spontaneously restarts when you are working in the web interface. This causes you to lose WiFi and internet connection for a short time. These problems seem to have been resolved in the beta version 7.90-116864. You can download the latest beta versions on the FRITZ!Lab website.
Unfortunately, something still goes wrong with the mesh functionality in the beta version. Loops are detected on the connected FRITZ!Repeaters (6000 AX) and the FRITZ!Box still restarts regularly when using a mesh network. This will probably be resolved in the final firmware 8.0. The repeater may also need an update to be able to work together flawlessly in the mesh network. After a crash, the FRITZ!Box automatically sends an error report to the manufacturer, so they are aware of the problems.
The FRITZ!Box 5690 Pro is the latest device from AVM and of course software problems can always arise in the beginning. There are few WiFi 7 devices and 5690 Pros in circulation and that probably hinders the resolution of the existing bugs. We have encountered problems with other types of FRITZ!Boxes in the past, but a solution was always found quickly. Bugs in the 5690 Pro are currently taking a very long time to be resolved. If you use the 5690 Pro without a mesh network, you will experience few problems from beta version 7.90.
The WiFi 7 connection between the FRITZ!Box and our iPhone 16 Pro Max is super fast and easily reaches very high speeds. These are on average between 2.5 and 4.8 Gbit/s via multilink (MLO), depending on the distance to the router.
The FRITZ!Box 5690 Pro is a versatile and user-friendly WiFi 7 internet router thanks to its many options. You can use it on an ADSL/VDSL or fiber optic connection, which makes it future-proof. There are 4 fast 1 GB LAN ports and a 2.5 GB (WAN/LAN) port.
We tested the FRITZ!Box 5690 Pro on a fiber optic internet from KPN via the WAN connection. A handy wizard guided through the installation during installation, within a few minutes our KPN Experiabox was replaced by the Fritz!box. The specific KPN settings for the connection were automatically retrieved by the FRITZ!Box and applied via the provider services.
FRITZ!OS 7.90 is currently still in the beta phase, when it is completed it will receive version number 8.0. The new, fresh interface of FRITZ!OS 8.0 makes the web interface clear and pleasant to work with.
The FRITZ!Box 5690 Pro is not the cheapest internet router from AVM, but it is currently the most future-oriented, versatile and super-fast internet router with WiFi 7.
Purchase FRITZ!Box 5690 Pro
