Sharing is caring!
FRITZ!Box 7530 AX review rating
Generalize
FRITZ! Box 7530 AX is now an all-in-one home network solution with the additional advantage of WiFi 6 speed. You have all the usual router functions, but you can then extend it to a mesh system, a VOIP/DECT base station that supports 6 cordless phones, and a VDSL/ADSL modem,
advantage
- A large number of features unmatched by any other router brand I know
- One of the only brands still producing VDSL/ADSL WiFi routers
- More affordable than compatible ASUS DSL-AX82U
shortcoming
- No UK plug option
- No 160Mhz channel width
- 3×3 5Ghz radio may mean backhaul sharing with mesh repeaters
FRITZ! Box 7530 AX is the first batch WiFi 6 router From AVM FRITZ! Box. To make things a bit confusing, they kept the same model as the WiFi 5 AVM FRITZ! Box 7530, but added the AX extension related to WiFi 6.
You might have guessed it, so this is the same as Fritz! Box 7530 But there is a significantly improved WiFi.
Most of the functions of this router are the same as the previous FRITZ!Box review, so I will not subdivide each function.This includes the phone function, I’m in my FRITZ! Fon C6 DECT mobile review.
Specification
- VDSL / ADSL modem
- Supports VDSL connections up to 300 Mbit/s via super vector (35b)
- Support 100 Mbit/s VDSL line with vectorization (full vectorization)
- Broadcom BCM 6303 DSL Modem
- Use existing Internet connection via LAN
- Integrated DECT base station for up to six cordless phones
- Analog or SIP/IP-based phone
- 4 Gigabit LAN, WAN through LAN 1 port
- 1 USB port for printer and storage media
- Firewall/NAT, DHCP server, DynDNS client, UPnP AV
- Secure remote access via the Internet using VPN (IPSec)
- Wi-Fi 6 up to 1800 Mbit/s (5 GHz) and 600 Mbit/s (2.4 GHz)
- 2 x 2 (2.4 GHz), 3 x 3 (5 GHz) with MU-MIMO
- Up to 80Mhz channel width
- Media server provides music, pictures and movies for devices in the home network (DLNA/UPnP AV)
- FRITZ!NAS-simple, browser-based access to all files on the network; you can share with friends and family
EU only
Since I am in the UK, it is worth noting that my sample is an EU model, and there is currently no plan to launch a UK model. Amazon did list this for £233, but I think this is also the EU version.
The router needs 12v 1.5amps, and the power cord of AVM FRITZ! Box 7590 is 12v 2.5amps. The random plug I have around the house is 12v 1.5amps which is not suitable for this router.
Features/mesh
An important feature that AVM has introduced in the past few years is the ability to pair their routers with WiFi repeaters equipped with new mesh networks.
AVM currently has 5 independent repeaters, but only FRITZ! Repeater 6000 is equipped with WiFI 6. All repeaters can be used as standard old repeaters, allowing you to use them with any brand. However, when you pair them with FRITZ! Box, they will take advantage of the mesh function, allowing you to keep the same SSID at home through the fast roaming function.
This makes FRITZ!Box products very unique because you have the following all-in-one solutions:
- VDSL / ADSL modem
- Mesh WiFi system
- Internet phone system
Even if you don’t care about phone functions, having a mesh system that supports VDSL is more attractive than two separate devices.
set up
A few years ago, when Virgin appeared on my street, I got rid of ADSL, so I had to use the existing Internet options to set it up, where the LAN 1 port became your WAN port.
It has a predefined password located at the bottom of the router, and like most routers, I just navigate to the IP address and follow the instructions.
The example I provided is running FRITZ!OS 07.22, and I was able to update it to 07.28
VDSL modem
I cannot test the VDSL function, but I did notice that the Amazon UK review states:
7530 AX is a perfect substitute for EIR F2000/3000, 7530 AX uses VDSL2 17a G.Vector (ITU G.993.5) profile to connect through Eir FTTC service.
Under the following guidance:
Set the connection to “DSL line” and the account information to “NO”. The only requirement is to use “VLAN-ID 10 / PBit 0” to enable “Use VLAN for internet access” without modifying the 1/32 DSL ATM settings.
WiFi 6 performance
The router has a slightly unusual 3×3 5Ghz radio, so it should be able to handle more congestion than many 2×2 routers. However, for WiFi 6 clients, you can only connect at a speed of 2×2, and this is limited to a channel width of 80Mhz, and the theoretical maximum throughput is 1200Mbps.
Using the router in the same room to connect to my desktop WiFi, I was able to achieve a throughput speed of 834Mbits/sec, which is consistent with other WiFi 6 devices of similar specifications I have used, including Unifi 6 Lite and Netgear Nighthawk MK63.
To transfer files from my wired desktop to a WiFi 6 laptop, all using NVMe drives, I can always reach more than 100MB/s. Not fully maximize Gigabit Ethernet throughput, but close enough.
The range is good. The router is installed in the central office of my house, and I can receive a usable signal in every room of my 4 and a half beds. Most people who own a medium-sized house will benefit from the mesh system, so buying one of the FRITZ! Repeaters will be beneficial.
WiFi 5 performance
For WiFi 5 devices, I was able to achieve a throughput of 660Mbit/sec, which is also the standard for most WiFi 5 routers and access points.
The consistency of file transfer is slightly worse, but it remains at around 80MB/s.
Prices and alternatives
I know that there are no official UK stocks (or even UK models).
Amazon.de lists this product at a price of 179.00 euros, and you can ship it to the UK with a shipping cost of 4.71 euros. This is much cheaper than any UK price I can find. Amazon UK listings are very expensive, I assume it’s just imports.
The ASUS DSL-AX82U, priced at £198, is the only competitive option that supports both DSL modem and WiFi 6.This is also supported by ASUS AiMesh, so you can pair it with other ASUS AiMesh WiFi 6 devices to form a mesh system
overall
First of all, I want to remind everyone that FRITZ! Box 7530 AX has not been launched in the UK, and it seems that there is no immediate plan to launch it. This limits the appeal because most of my readers are in the UK. However, dealing with two-pin plugs is not a big problem.
The AVM FRITZ! Box series has always been one of the best integrated solutions for your home network. I like the function of the router interface very much. Even if I no longer need the modem or WiFi function, I still use my 7590 to handle DHCP.
The FRITZ!Box 7530 AX retains the same level of quality I have seen in previous FRITZ!Box routers, but due to limited competition, it ended up being better than normal.
Most brands seem to have abandoned VDLS modem routers, so only ASUS DSL-AX82U also has WiFi 6.
In contrast, FRITZ! Box 7530 AX has a very good price, about 180 euros (or 156 pounds if you import it) and has more features.
Last updated on 2021-09-19 / Affiliate link / Image from Amazon Product Advertising API
