Three years after our test of the Fritz!Box 4060, the time has come to put one of the first large Wi-Fi 7 routers from the German brand AVM to the test bench. Here are our impressions after a test of the new Fritz!Box 7690, which succeeds the 7590 model. What performance? What advantage? Who is this product for? Our impressions and our test to help you form an opinion, a few months after the introduction in Belgium of the freedom to choose your own router, regardless of your Internet service provider.
The freedom to choose your router has been a reality since November 2024, whether we are talking about DSL, optical fiber or cable (DOCSIS/HFC). AVM is marketing a new high-end agnostic router in Belgium, which is suitable for both DSL and optical fiber and cable (HFC) connections: the Fritz!Box 7690. This model succeeds the 7590 AX and is positioned as a premium product, integrating the Wi-Fi 7the mesh Wi-Fiand extensive compatibility with optical fiber. But does it live up to its promise? We tested the Fritz!Box 7690 to see what it’s really worth and what it’s missing in 2025.
Design and connectivity: classic and efficient
Visually, the Fritz!Box 7690 retains the DNA of the AVM products in this range (including the iconic 7590): a red and white, slightly curved box, with vents on the sides to prevent overheating. The device is well designed and compact, fitting easily into an office or living room. If it must be placed after the ONT or cable modem in your garage/basement, we advise you to opt for a wall mount.
On the connectivity side, AVM has seen the big picture:
- 1 port WAN 2.5 Gbit/s
- 4 additional LAN ports including 1 in 2.5 Gbps,
- 2 ports USB 3.0 for file sharing,
- A telephone port (RJ11/ISDN),
- Compatibility with DECT telephony.
In short, complete connectivity, ideal for advanced home use or a small office. The 2.5 Gbps WAN port connects directly to the ONT (via fiber optic), cable modem (HFC), or DSL line (model is approved).
Other features:
- FRITZ!NAS for file sharing,
- DLNA/UPnP AV media server for streaming music, photos and videos,
- MyFRITZ! for secure remote access,
- Compatibility with internet radios and podcasts,
- Optimization for IPTV and video/music streaming.
Performance: Wi-Fi 7 on board
The big novelty of the Fritz!Box 7690 is of course Wi-Fi 7. This standard promises theoretical flow rates greater than 10 Gbit/swith better interference management and optimized performance in dense environments. Please note: this is not a Tri-band Wi-Fi with the 6 GHz bandunlike Wi-Fi 6E routers. You must therefore be attentive to comparisons, especially if you are looking for coverage on this frequency.
Test results
During our test, here is what we observed:
- And more stable and powerful signal over distances as long as in Wi-Fi 6 with the 4060 model. In Wi-Fi 7, the smartphone (Pixel 9) seems to be able to connect to the router at around 3000 Mbps. For its part, the iPhone 16 does not see the Wi-Fi 7 network (at this stage).
- Improved support for devices connected simultaneously,
- And reduced latencyideal for gaming or video calls,
- 4×4 Wi-Fi 7 with speeds of up to 5760 MBit/s (5 GHz) and 1376 MBit/s (2.4 GHz).
In practice, the Fritz!Box 7690 offers excellent throughput, especially on Wi-Fi 7 compatible devices, but with full backwards compatibility with Wi-Fi 5 and 6 standards.
Mesh Wi-Fi 7: you’ll have to wait
Due to the lack of Wi-Fi 7 compatible Mesh-WiFi repeaters at AVM, it is not yet possible to create a true complete Wi-Fi 7 mesh network. We still have to accept that additional Mesh Wi-Fi modules broadcast Wi-Fi 6 (AX). However, the FRITZ!Repeater 1200 W7 and 2400 W7 were announced in September 2024. Their release remains planned for 2025, but we have not obtained a marketing date.
Without compatible modules, you will have to opt for a Wi-Fi 6E or 7 mesh system from another brand (and therefore do without the Wi-Fi 7 of your Fritz!box 7690 if the Wi-Fi coverage is insufficient for you. Too bad not to have synchronized the output of the router with the essential Wi-Fi expansion modules at a time when the insulation of buildings is such that it is often necessary to invest in additional devices to ensure good coverage in a large apartment, one home or office (VSE, SME).
In our case, the Fritzbox is connected to Amazon Wi-Fi Eero mesh modules (Wi-Fi 6E).
Interface and features
As always with AVM, the interface Fritz!OS is a strong point. Accessible from a browser, it offers a clear and complete dashboard to manage:
- Network settings (connectivity, IPv6, DNS, myFritz account!)
- Managing connected devices
- Parental control
- DECT telephony
- The integrated media server
- A Zigbee router for the connected home
During the initial setup of the router, we were offered the Fritz!OS 8.01 update. Since then, a new update 8.0.2 has come. It allowed us to resolve some inconsistencies in the bridge mode that you imposed on mesh repeaters from another brand, connected to the LAN1 port of the Fritz!Box.
Here are some screenshots of the web interface (where we removed private information). The initial configuration tool made it easy to connect to the Edpnet network (optical fiber), but it was necessary to manually enter the PPPOE identifiers afterwards for the connectivity to be operational. Very useful: configuring public DNS (in our case Cloudflare with DNS over TLS).
Landline telephony
Whether you are an individual or a small business, the Fritz!Box gives you the freedom to add SIP phone lines. If you are an Edpnet/Fastfiber or Proximus customer, you can easily configure the associated landline, but nothing prevents you from installing a VoIP SIP line directly in your router independently. You can connect wired or cordless telephones (DECT standard). Example: if you have a landline OVH line, it is very easy to configure.
Integrated home automation
What is new with this generation of routers is the presence of a Zigbee router for the connected home. It can also be interface with voice assistants from Google, Amazon or even with Home Assistant.
Currently, this part is still limited, but it is evolving quickly:
- Coverage of electricity, heating and lighting,
- Support up to 50 home automation devices (DECT ULE),
- Integration of 40 LED bulbs and other Zigbee compatible devices,
- Control via the FRITZ!Box interface, the FRITZ!Fon, the FRITZ!DECT switch and the FRITZ!App Smart Home app,
- Support for the Matter standard, allowing integration with Amazon Alexa, Google Home and other controllers.
Verdict: should you buy the Fritz!Box 7690?
The Fritz!Box 7690 is the ideal router if you want to benefit from connectivity of up to 2.5 Gbps (fiber, cable) today in Belgium instead of your service provider’s router. It will give you access to Wi-Fi 7, but above all to much more advanced configuration tools. As always, AVM is aimed at people who know what they are doing by choosing a Fritzbox. Connectivity, VPN, telephony, fine network management: all the ingredients are there to be able to configure your connection very thoroughly while controlling costs, particularly compared to brands like Ubiquiti or professional Router/VPN models.
The price: the Fritz!Box 7690 router is sold online at price ranging from 220 to 280 € according to resellers. Good to know: the Fritz!Box 7690 router is offered with certain connections of the Fastfiber operator at the preferential price of €199.
-The strong points:
✅ Support you Wi-Fi 7 and excellent wireless performance
✅ Complete connectivity with ports 2,5 Gbit/s et USB 3.0
✅ Interface Intuitive and feature-rich Fritz!OS
✅ Compatibility VDSL, fiber and DECT telephony
✅ Zigbee router with Matter support for the connected home.
The weak points:
❌ The acquisition cost (approximately €250)
❌ Absence of 6 GHz bandunlike Wi-Fi 6E routers.
❌ No 10 Gbps connectivity at this stage
❌ No brand Wi-Fi 7 repeater to create a complete Wi-Fi 6E/7 network
Assessment
Assessment
no rating based on 0 votes
Marque
AVM
Product
Fritz!Box 7690
Prix
EUR 250
Product availability
Available in Stock
