always say something positive first:

  • FritzBoxes are great (DSL/LTE/…) internet routers (up to now)
  • all FritzBoxes work with 12V DC (which is great for usage with small solar power stations (that are usually 12V based))
  • high quality & reliable
  • secure (now with automatic updates)
  • power efficient
  • many many features that usually “just work” 🙂 (usually)
  • the Mesh WIFI Network overview is done VERY VERY VERY WELL 🙂
    • (imho has improved over a simple list… lists showing MAC & IP & connection speed are also useful keep em)
  • another great feature: auto wifi shutoff during night times
    • poweroff wifi after 00:00 after last device disconnected (TURN OF THAT WIFI ON PRINTER!), this is great and should be standard-by-law to reduce Electro Magnetic Radiation Waste (especially at night times)

      poweroff wifi after 00:00 after last device disconnected (TURN OF THAT WIFI ON PRINTER!), this is great and should be standard-by-law to reduce Electro Magnetic Radiation Waste (especially at night times in cities! where there are 30x WIFIs CONSTANT ON ALL NIGHT)

    • “Excessive WiFi exposure is known to be associated with disrupted learning and memory, sleep deprivation, and fatigue related to reduced melatonin secretion and increased norepinephrine (stress hormone) secretion at night.”

the troubles/problems:

  • the settings menu is hiding to many options below obscure buttons such as “advanced” “expert” and “extended”
    • making it hard to find the settings (usually using the “inhalt” overview X-D)
    • also it would be nice if AVM would support OpenWRT (currently it does not AT ALL)
      • AVM usually ships updates even for older models if there is a severe security problem, but very old routers (10 years?) won’t get any updates anymore
    • grant ssh access to the box and all settings
    • detachable WIFI Antennas would be a big plus
    • the problem: AVM massively changed the webinterface… probably in order to make it “easier to handle”but imho as the amount of features increases the quality of the web interface has become worse (less responsive, slower, more confusing… where to search for what setting?)this back and forth bug: definitely an overuse of slow JavaScript on slow hardware?

      even worse: the webinterface might be different from model to model

      also: imho the AVM FritzRepeaters (being actually small “FritzBoxes”) are utter crap

      • emitting massive amounts of radiation
      • while not working very well (slow, unreliable)

      also: the first FritzWifiPhones were a complete catastrophe… basically useless… always out of battery X-D

renaming fritzbox (changing hostname):

(not even sure if that is possible X-D)

  • when searching the net for “rename fritzbox” the results are usually about the SSID (name of the wifi)
  • But every network device has a hostname (ping by ip or ping by hostname should both work) and this screenshot actually shows how to change the hostname of the fritzbox router:

make sure bottom left corner “Ansicht: Erweitert” (View: Advanced/Extended) is active

 

Meshing with the FritzBox

Mesh is said to be pretty effective for covering a wider area with multiple routers that are interlinked only by WIFI itself (no cables). (untested)

 

AVM: Freifunk for FritzBoxes?

or maybe it does support Freifunk Firmware?

check this out: https://fritz-tools.readthedocs.io/en/latest/

ask those guys: https://freifunk-goettingen.de/

the situation 2017 was:

English:

“Why is there no Freifunk firmware for my FRITZ!Box?

The firmware of the manufacturer AVM includes proprietary components (ISDN and other stuff). We would violate copyright if we offered a modified version for these routers although the rest of the firmware is exemplarily released under GPL. With the Freetz project, it is possible to expand the already powerful AVM firmware with further components.

Please write to the people at AVM directly, they would like to work the Linux kernel module B. A. T. M. A. N.-Advanced (compatibility mode 15) and the tunnel technology fastd-both with associated settings for the web interface-into their firmware and maintain (because they are constantly being developed further). That would be your FRITZ!Box immediately transformed into a Freifunk node. You would then only have to enter the Wuppertal settings. Maybe AVM will do something in this field, because they really love their customers and take care of their products for a long time.

Otherwise you still have the possibility to create your own firmware with Freetz. We have not yet inquired whether this is possible, and have not yet tried it ourselves. ”

Source: https://www.freifunk-wuppertal.net/faq.html#fritzboxfirmware

German:

“Warum gibt es keine Freifunk-Firmware für meine FRITZ!Box?

Die Firmware des Herstellers AVM beinhaltet proprietäre Bestandteile (ISDN und anderer Kram). Wir würden das Urheberrecht verletzen, wenn wir eine modifizierte Version für diese Router anbieten würden obwohl der Rest der Firmware vorbildhaft unter GPL veröffentlicht wird. Mit dem Freetz-Projekt besteht die Möglichkeit die ohnehin von Haus aus mächtige AVM-Firmware mit weiteren Bestandteilen zu erweitern.

Bitte schreibe die Menschen bei AVM direkt an, sie mögen bitte das Linux-Kernel-Modul B.A.T.M.A.N.-Advanced (Kompatibilitätsmodus 15) sowie die Tunneltechnologie fastd – beide mit dazugehörigen Einstellungsmöglichkeiten für die Weboberfläche – in ihre Firmware einarbeiten und pflegen (denn sie werden ständig weiter entwickelt). Damit wäre deine FRITZ!Box auf Anhieb in einen Freifunk-Knoten verwandelt. Du müsstest dann nur noch die Wuppertaler Einstellungen eintragen. Kann sein, dass AVM etwas auf diesem Gebiet unternehmen wird, denn sie haben ihre Kunden wirklich lieb und pflegen lange ihre Produkte.

Ansonsten bleibt Dir selbst noch die Möglichkeit mit Freetz eine eigene Firmware zu zaubern. Wir haben uns noch nicht erkundigt, ob das geht, und es noch nicht selbst versucht. ”

Source: https://www.freifunk-wuppertal.net/faq.html#fritzboxfirmware

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