How to set up FRITZ Box

You have just signed a new contract for your home Internet line and you have decided to use a FRITZ! Box router, one of the most complete and “performing” among those available on the market. Once you extracted the device from the sales package, however, various doubts began to arise about its configuration. How to set it up correctly with Internet and voice line? How to open the doors? How to configure it as an access point? Don’t worry: if you have these and other doubts, I’m here to help you.

In fact, in this guide, I’ll explain how to set up FRITZ Box quickly and easily. Be aware that configuring a modem correctly can take many steps, and it is recommended to do it yourself only if you are knowledgeable in this field. If not, I suggest you consult a technician or a more experienced friend, who will surely be able to help you with the configuration.

Having said that, I would say to start. All you need is a PC or mobile device to connect to the network generated by the FRITZ Box and a few minutes of free time. Having said that, I just have to wish you a good read and wish you good luck for everything!

Index

• FRITZ! Box Setup for the First Time
• How to Configure FRITZ Box for Internet Providers
  • How to configure FRITZ Box with TIM
  • How to set up FRITZ Box with Vodafone
  • How to configure FRITZ Box with Fastweb
  • How to configure FRITZ Box with EOLO
• Other FRITZ! Box configurations
  • How to open the FRITZ! Box ports
  • How to set up a telephone on the FRITZ! Box
  • How to set up the FRITZ Box as an access point

FRITZ! Box Setup for the First Time

The first thing to do, of course, is to properly install the FRITZ! Box. In the package of the device there are instructions that explain in detail how to do it, as there may be small differences between one model and another. Either way, don’t worry, the steps are always quite simple.

In general, you need to connect the power first, through the round input on the right of the modem. Insert the plug, then plug the other end into a power outlet.

Therefore, connect the twisted pair at the DSL output, using the supplied cable. On FON you can connect any landline or cordless phones, while the LAN outputs are reserved for connections via Ethernet cable of the various devices. The WAN port, if present, is used to use the modem as a cascade router or access point.

Once the modem is installed correctly, connect a PC or a mobile device to the network generated by the modem: the connection via Ethernet cable would be ideal (to avoid interference and other problems), but the connection in Wi-Fi is also fine (you should recognize the modem for its name that appeared in the list of available devices).

Once this is done, open any browser and type the link fritz.box in the address bar, and then press Enter. In this way, you have access to the internal configuration page of the modem, through which to perform the first setup of the same. If you can’t reach the page in question, check out my tutorial on finding out the router’s IP address to find out how to fix.

First, you are asked to indicate the language: choose the one you prefer, ticking the relevant option, then click on the OK button. At this point, you are prompted for the password, to complete access to the platform: you can find it on the back of the modem and at the end of the instruction manual. It consists of 9 alphanumeric characters. Afterward, I recommend that you change it to one of your own.

Next, the modem begins its first configuration to locate the network and attempt to connect to the Internet. In the first screen, you must therefore select your country of origin, then you must press the Next button.

The FRITZ! Box may restart at this stage, so you just have to wait and complete the login by re-entering the password. Then press the OK button when asked to collaborate in the diagnosis and maintenance of software errors, then you can start with the actual configuration.

Press the Next button, then choose your internet provider from the drop-down menu: this procedure allows you to automatically configure the FRITZ! Box with the network, so I advise you not to skip it.

If the provider is not present in the list, check the item another Internet provider, then choose from the options that appeared under the drop-down menu if your connection is with direct fiber ( FTTH ), mixed copper fiber ( FTTC or DSL ) or ADSL ( DSL ). Once this is done, you can press the Next button.

You can check the parameters recommended by the modem and start with the connection test by leaving the Check Internet connection option checked after saving the settings. Press Next again to continue.

Then wait a few moments and, if everything went well, you should receive a message of successful connection. Now click on the item Complete this step to confirm. At this moment, your internet connection is ready for use.

If you have a fiber-optic network, you must also configure your phone number on the next screen (as the voice line also works over the fiber). Then click on the button Set up new numbers, choose if you have an IP-based connection or a fixed network connection and DSL connection and click on the Next button.

On the screen that appears, indicate your landline telephone provider, therefore, under VoIP number, enter your landline number (preceded by the international prefix, which is +39 in the case of Italy).

In the Username field you can re-enter your phone number, while the Password must be requested directly from the provider, by contacting support and requesting the VoIP password. You can recover this step in the future, in case you can’t find the password right away.

Press the Next button when you are done, then on that Conclude the step to confirm. Last, but not least, is the configuration regarding the Wi-Fi Network Name and Key. To change the default ones, check the Change Wi-Fi settings item and enter the ones you prefer: I recommend that you configure a secure password. Finally, press the Finish the step button to confirm.

Once this is done, you can choose whether to enter an e-mail address to stay informed about software updates or errors during use. Once this is done, click on the Next button and, if it is not updated, the latest FRITZ! Os firmware will be installed on your router.

How to Configure FRITZ Box for Internet Providers

If you have changed your telephone or Internet provider, the FRITZ! Box configuration will have to be repeated, as it will no longer have the correct coordinates to successfully complete the connection to the Internet. So let’s see how to configure FRITZ Box for the main Internet providers.

How to configure FRITZ Box with TIM

If you have decided to use TIM as an Internet provider, you don’t have to worry: each FRITZ! Box model is enabled to use the connection standards required by TIM, both for ADSL and for fiber. So, if you want to know, for example, how to configure FRITZ Box 7530 with TIM, this is the chapter for you.

First of all, if you have already completed the initial configuration with a different provider, you should be aware of the fact that FRITZ! Box can manage the procedure automatically, through a convenient configuration assistant.

So, connect your PC or mobile device to the modem (possibly via Ethernet cable, but Wi-Fi connection is fine too) and open any web browser. Then type fritz.box in the address bar, then enter the password (it is on the back of the modem, if you have not customized it in the past) to complete access to the configuration portal.

In the panel, go with the mouse pointer in the menu on the left and click on the item Assistants. In the menu appeared on the screen, then choose the item Configure Internet access, in order to have access to the wizard.

Now select the TIM or TIM Business provider from the drop-down menu, then choose whether it is a TIM ADSL or mixed copper fiber ( FTTC ) connection or a TIM Fiber ( FTTH ) connection and press the Next button.

The next screen shows you a summary of your Internet access settings: click on Back or Cancel if they are incorrect, otherwise you can go Next again.

The FRITZ! Box then begins to check whether it is able to establish an Internet connection with TIM. The configuration can be considered completed successfully once the message The Internet connection test was successful appears on the screen.

If you have any problems, I invite you to contact the TIM provider directly, to verify that they are correctly accessing the Internet, otherwise I recommend that you take a look at the official FRITZ! Box guide on this.

How to set up FRITZ Box with Vodafone

Configuring the FRITZ Box with Vodafone is really very simple, as it is necessary to let the automatic assistant in the user interface screen do the configuration work.

First, log in to fritz.box via your browser once connected to the router’s network. Once this is done, enter the password you find on the back of the modem, in the instruction booklet of the same, or your personalized password, then press the Login button.

Once logged in, go to the Assistants item on the left and select the option Configure Internet access. At this point, all you have to do is select Vodafone from the drop-down menu, so if it is a DSL connection (mixed copper fiber, or ADSL) or FTTH (pure fiber).

Then click the Next button, take a look at the connection summary information and, if everything is correct, press the Next button again to start a connection test. If all went well, you should see the message The Internet connection test was successful on the screen.

In case of doubts or problems, I invite you to contact Vodafone customer service, or to consult the official guide on the AVM website, the manufacturer of FRITZ! Box modems.

How to configure FRITZ Box with Fastweb

If you have decided to switch to Fastweb as your Internet and telephony provider, you should know that you can easily configure the connection on the FRITZ! Box using the automatic assistant.

Then connect your PC or mobile device to the router and use any browser to connect to the address fritz.box. Then enter the password for access to the portal (you can find it on the back of the modem, if you have not already changed it), then press the Login button.

Now go to the Assistants item, then to Configure Internet access and select the option called Fastweb from the drop-down menu, then indicate the type of connection you want to refer to: ADSL if you have a connection of this type, VDSL if you have a mixed copper fiber connection, FTTH if you have activated an offer with fiber to your home. If you have a connection without fiber but with telephony, you can also choose the ADSL voice with telephony.

Then press the Next button twice in succession and a connection test will be started, the positive result of which you will be notified by the message The Internet connection test was successful.

If you have any problems, please note the presence of an official guide on the manufacturer’s website, or you can contact a Fastweb operator for more information.

How to configure FRITZ Box with EOLO

The EOLO provider uses FRITZ! Box modems as devices that can be purchased together with its Internet offers. For this reason, setting up the FRITZ Box with EOLO is really very simple.

After connecting the modem via Wi-Fi or cable to your device, log in to the user interface by typing fritz.box in the address bar of the browser. Then enter the password and press the Login button to enter the panel.

Now select, from the menu on the left, the item Assistants, then click on the option Configure Internet access. Once this is done, choose EOLO from the drop-down menu that appears on the screen, then press the Next button.

By clicking on the Next button, in the next summary screen, you will be able to start a connection test which, if successful, will display the message The Internet connection test was successful.

The FRITZ! Box automatic assistant will take care of the rest. In case you are not clear on the procedure, or you run into some errors, I suggest you take a look at the official guide on the manufacturer’s and EOLO’s website.

Other FRITZ! Box configurations

Know that the most advanced FRITZ! Box modems are really open to many types of modifications and configurations. I’ll show you the main ones, including the one to open the modem ports, the one to configure telephones and cordless phones and the one to configure the modem as an access point.

How to open the FRITZ! Box ports

Opening modem ports is a simple but often risky solution as it exposes you to malware that can bypass your modem and PC firewall. It is generally used to allow Internet communication to services such as online gaming, (for example with Playstation Plus, Xbox Live or Nintendo Switch Online ) or file sharing, as in the case of uTorrent and eMule.

First, log in to the modem control panel through any device connected to its network. To do this, type fritz.box in the address bar of any browser, then log in with the password found on the back of the modem or with the modified one you set.

In the vast majority of cases, enabling automatic ports is enough to avoid running into connection problems with most online services. To do this, go to the Local Network item, then click on the Network option.

Within the Network Connections submenu, you can recognize each device currently connected to the modem. Choose the one for which you intend to enable automatic doors, then click on the pencil icon next to it.

Then activate the option Allow automatic door enabling by clicking on the check next to it, then press the OK button to confirm your choice. If the device or application is installed on a PC with a firewall, remember to configure that too.

The devices or applications configured in this way, therefore, can automatically open the doors necessary for the use of the service. If this is not enough, or you want to open only some ports, you have to configure the specific authorizations.

To do this, click on the Internet item, in the menu on the left of the modem control panel, then on the Enablements. Then go to the submenu called Port Enablements, then click on the Add device for enablements option.

In the Device drop-down menu, choose the console, service or application for which to enable access to certain ports from the list, or enter the static IP address directly by selecting the item Manually enter the IP address.

Once you have chosen the device, click on the New Enabling item, then select the Port Enabling option. Once this is done, it indicates whether to configure the enabling for an HTTP, HTTPS or FTP server using the appropriate Application drop-down menu. If you want to configure the ports for eMule, in this menu there is the opportunity to choose the preset enabling for this service.

Then enter the interval between the ports to be enabled under the Device Port items and up to…, then choose from the Protocol drop-down menu which one to use among those TCP, UDP, ESP and GRE. Finally, check the item Activate enabling and press the OK button twice.

Now go back to Internet> Authorizations to check the actual presence of the authorizations created. To remove one of the authorizations, in case of second thoughts, all you have to do is press the X button next to the authorization created.

To learn more, I suggest you take a look at the guide to configure the authorizations for automatic doors and other authorizations directly on the manufacturer’s official website.

How to set up a telephone on the FRITZ! Box

If you intend to set up a telephone on the FRITZ! Box (be it wired or cordless), know that it is really very simple. First, connect the telephone cable to one of the modem’s FON ports and access the control panel, reachable from any browser, at the “usual” address fritz.box.

Now enter the password, then click on Sign in. Then go to the Telephony menu on the left, then click on Telephony devices. Now choose the New device configuration option, to get help from the automatic configurator.

To add a telephone device, choose the Telephone item (with and without answering machine), then click on the Next button. In the menu that appears on the screen, then choose the FON port to which the device is connected, otherwise press DECT to pair a cordless phone.

If you choose to configure an analog phone, choose the name to be assigned in the box below, then click Next. The correctly connected phone should start ringing, so press the YES key to confirm your choice.

In case you have connected a cordless and therefore you have chosen the DECT option in the previous menu, press on Next and follow the instructions of your cordless to start the pairing. If necessary, enter the pairing PIN, which is often set to 0000 by default.

Once this is done, press the Next button again to start the automatic registration procedure of the cordless phone with the FRITZ! Box. In case you have any difficulties or doubts, I suggest you take a look at the official guide on the manufacturer’s website.

How to set up the FRITZ Box as an access point

Using the FRITZ! Box as an access point is possible and you can configure it via the control panel accessible via browser at fritz.box. First, go to the Local Network menu, then click on the Network item.

Once this is done, select the Network Settings submenu, then set the modem as IP Client. If you have connected the FRITZ! Box to the main router via cable, i.e. using an Ethernet cable connected to the WAN ports of both, select the item via LAN, then click on the Change connection settings menu.

Now choose to Define the IP address manually, so that you can enter the data correctly. In the IP address, then type an address not used among those of the IP network modem/routers, subnet mask of the modem/router, while in standard Gateway, Primary DNS Server and Secondary DNS server‘s IP address router.

Once this is done, you can press the Apply button to confirm the settings. The FRITZ! The box is now correctly configured as an access point, but you will no longer be able to access the user interface via the fritz.box address.

To do this, you will have to type the IP address that you have manually determined in any address bar of a browser of a device connected to the network. To learn more, consult the official documentation.