Fritzbox 5630: A new basic fibre model is now available

The new Fritzbox 5630 has entered the market after nearly ten months since its initial announcement. The device, positioned as a high-performance base model for fiber-optic connections, is now available for purchase with a recommended retail price of 289 euros. Retailers have already begun offering the product at prices up to 20 euros lower than the suggested amount. Fritz describes the Fritzbox 5630 as a “powerful base model” designed for fiber-optic subscriptions. It features an integrated modem capable of supporting two widely used connection types: Gigabit Passive Optical Network (GPON) at 2.5 gigabits per second and Active Optical Network (AON) at 1 gigabit per second. This makes the device suitable for a range of fiber-optic services currently available in Germany. While the Fritzbox 5630 shares similarities with the more expensive Fritzbox 5590, it introduces Wi-Fi 7 technology instead of Wi-Fi 6. The new model includes a simple configuration with two MIMO streams per band and lacks support for the 6 GHz frequency band. As a result, it can theoretically achieve speeds of up to 2880 megabits per second in the 5 GHz band. This represents a 20 percent improvement over the Fritzbox 5590, which achieves 2400 megabits per second using four MIMO streams with a channel width of 80 rather than 160 megahertz. However, this advantage is primarily noticeable close to the router. For mesh WLAN systems, the effectiveness of either model depends on how many MIMO streams the repeaters support. In contrast, the 2.4 GHz WLAN of the new model is slower due to fewer MIMO streams. It reaches a peak speed of 688 megabits per second compared to the 1200 megabits per second of the Fritzbox 5590. For wired connections, the Fritzbox 5630 offers a 2.5-gigabit-per-second Ethernet port that serves both as a local network connection and a potential alternative to a provider’s equipment. Three additional Ethernet ports provide gigabit speeds each. The device also includes a USB-A port operating at 5 gigabits per second (USB 3.2 Gen 1, previously known as USB 3.0), suitable for connecting printers or a NAS drive. It supports DECT telephony and standard smart home functions through the FritzOS platform. Meanwhile, the Fritzbox 5530 remains available as the entry-level fiber-optic model, priced starting at 170 euros. It uses slightly older hardware and offers slower Wi-Fi 6 performance along with one fewer Ethernet port. Despite these differences, it continues to receive regular firmware updates, including version 8.25 released in June. The 5690 model, priced at 280 euros, is similarly priced to the 5630 but includes an extra 2.5-gigabit-per-second port and operates twice as fast in the 5 GHz network thanks to four MIMO streams. This makes it a stronger option for users requiring higher bandwidth capabilities.