news Australian distributor PCRange this week revealed it had started distributing a new top-end model in the popular FRITZ!Box range of high-end ADSL routers, with the model supporting the long-awaited 802.11ac standard.
Previously PCRange had distributed the 7270, 7272 and 7390 FRITZ!Box models in Australia, especially using relationships with ISPs such as Internode to to so. The routers are notable because of their high-end featureset compared with the routers offered by rival companies and have thus proven popular in Australia’s early technology adopter and IT community.
In a statement released yesterday, PCRange noted that it would introduce the FRITZ!Box 7490 router into the local market from next month (April).
Designed and manufactured in Germany by AVM, the “fibre-ready” ADSL2+ broadband router includes AC Wireless networking, four 1Gb LAN ports and two USB 3.0 ports. It also contains an integrated telephone system and media server. It goes for the similarly high-end price of $429 and will be distributed exclusively through PCRange’s national network.
As well as gigabit Ethernet, the FRITZ!Box 7490 supports the iEEE 802.11ac WLAN standard, capable of 1300 megabits per second (Mb/s) data throughput in the 5Ghz band and 450 Mb/s in the 2.4 frequency band. AC Wireless is backward compatible with older 802.11a/b/g/n wireless devices.
The 7490’s built-in telephone system contains multiple answering machines, a DECT base station for as many six cordless handsets and connection options for analog and VoIP telephone handsets. The new unit also provides a “powerful media server” that can stream images, videos and music throughout your home network, “whether data is stored locally or in the cloud”.
PCRange chief executive Raaj Menon described the FRITZ!Box 7490 as “simply brilliant”. “The 7490 is the bee’s knees for broadband and home networking,” he said. “With AC Wireless and USB 3.0, it has all the latest features that people have asked for over the past year, so we expect it to sell like hotcakes. Our resellers are already getting orders.”
opinion/analysis
The Delimiter office currently utilises a FRITZ!Box 7390 (currently as a second router for internal network distribution), which has provided very solid levels of both ADSL2+ and internal LAN and WLAN connectivity for several years. However, the 7390 notably does not come with 802.11ac support. We’re very glad to see this standard make it to the excellent FRITZ!Box series in the 7490.
We haven’t reviewed this model, but we strongly suspect this is now the best ADSL2+ router available in Australia, or at least a contender for that position. The quality and versatility of the FRITZ!Box series has always stood it in very good stead compared with much of the rest of the ADSL router market, which tends to focus on keeping prices low rather than on quality and features. Let’s hope the 7490 stays true to the FRITZ!Box ethos.
Image credit: AVM
Interesting specs but the design is way too garish.
Fins could make anything look cool.
Wall mount?
the ’59 Cadillac of routers
May look a little retro, but they are surprisingly competent routers. An 802.11ac model is good to see.
The quality reminds me of the way Linksys routers used to be.
WRT54G with OpenWRT FTW
It’s disappointing that you’ve given a very one-sided review based on just your experience of the Fritz!Box 7390 and failed to mention the numerous issues that others have experienced with this model. These issues still exist for many, despite promises of a fix ever since the unit was released.
“the numerous issues that others have experienced with this model”
Such as?
You obviously haven’t been following threads in Whirlpool very closely.
Poor ADSL performance on long lines
Phantom rings on PSTN-connected phones
CLID not working on incoming PSTN calls
Ring delay on incoming PSTN calls
Over sensitivity to lightening-induced electrical surges
to name a few…
I’ve done better than “following threads”, I used the 7390 as my main ADSL router for several years and did not suffer any of the problems you’re describing …
I’ve read half of those threads – some were (are) genuine and firmware updates have resolved much of the early issues; others are pure tin-foil-hat silliness.
Having said that virtually all consumer grade devices are not priced to be perfect at all times across all units.
The ‘more susceptible to lightning’ has all pseudo-science babble of an x-files episode, though. Hilarious.
whirlpool is there for people to whinge. it’s as ‘one-sided’ as your opinion on this review.
what about the thousands of people (like renai) who have one and have no issues?
that’s exactly what a review is supposed to be: one person’s experience with a device over a long period of time.
Before switching to a FritzBox 7390, I used to run a Billion top-of-the-range router and, albeit loving the amount of features it had, had nothing but trouble. Constant line drops, especially after heavy rain (noise on the lines due to the telephone pits running full of water), phantom ringing on my VoIP phone and at time ridiculously poor throughput.
After getting the Fritzbox, on the same phone line and ADSL2+ service, I’ve had no issues whatsoever. Great router. Shame I missed out on the latest model, which had just been released in Germany at the time I upgraded.
Looking forward to seeing how this unit performs in the short term. I think the 7390 was a very good unit but not a fantastic unit. I unfortunately was one who had the phantom calls and do feel shafted by AVM as it just seemed to be one excuse after another and none that did not solve my problem. I am also considering upgrading in the future to 7490 as the 7390 has been the most stable unit I have used although previously only using cheap ADSL modems but when I upgrade if it gives me 1 phantom call it will be instantly returned to whom I buy it from. I am not waiting another few years for fixes that are supposed to be happening. I do wish it is as good or better than my expectations.
The thing I also seem to have noticed is the warranty period has dropped considerably from the previous model?
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