FRITZ!Box 7360 Service - Knowledge Base

FRITZ!Box 7360 Service
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Increasing wireless range of the FRITZ!Box with a repeater

You can increase the wireless range (WiFi) of your FRITZ!Box with internet access (access point) if you set up additional FRITZ!Boxes as repeaters. This allows you to

  • completely integrate computers, smartphones, and other network and telephony devices connected to the FRITZ!Box (repeater) into your home network. You can then use all of the internet and telephony services set up in the FRITZ!Box (access point) with them.
  • let your guests enjoy fast and secure internet access via the guest wireless network, even when they are far from the FRITZ!Box (access point). Your guests' wireless devices remain completely separated from your home network.

Here we show you how to set up an additional FRITZ!Box as a repeater. Instead of a FRITZ!Box, you can also use a FRITZ!WLAN Repeater.

Important:The instructions for configuring the access point are valid for the FRITZ!Box model given above these instructions. You can find guides for other models in the "Service" area of the respective FRITZ!Box on avm.de.

Requirements / Restrictions

Note:All instructions on configuration and settings given in this guide refer to the latest FRITZ!OS for the FRITZ!Box.

1 Configuring the access point

The FRITZ!Box is already completely configured for use as an access point in the factory settings. The following steps are only necessary if you changed the FRITZ!Box's wireless settings:

Enabling the wireless network

  1. Click "Wireless" ("WLAN") in the FRITZ!Box user interface.
  2. Click "Radio Network" in the "Wireless" ("WLAN") menu.
  3. Enable the wireless network.
  4. Click "Apply" to save the settings.

Displaying the name of the wireless network (SSID)

Make sure that the name of your access point's wireless network is visible:

Note:Hiding the wireless network name can pose a security risk (see article in PC World: 5 Wi-Fi security myths you must abandon now).

  1. Click "Wireless" ("WLAN") in the FRITZ!Box user interface.
  2. Click "Radio Network" in the "Wireless" ("WLAN") menu.
  3. Enable the option "Name of the wireless radio network visible". If the option is not displayed, enable the Advanced View first.
  4. Click "Apply" to save the settings.

Briefly disabling the MAC address filter

The MAC address filter of the access point may not be enabled during the configuration procedure:

  1. Click "Wireless" ("WLAN") in the FRITZ!Box user interface.
  2. Click "Security" in the "Wireless" ("WLAN") menu.
  3. Enable the option "Allow all new wireless devices".
  4. Click "Apply" to save the settings.

You can reenable the MAC address filter as soon as you have finished configuring the wireless connection between the repeater and the access point.

Configuring the operating mode

  1. Click "Wireless" ("WLAN") in the FRITZ!Box user interface.
  2. Click "Repeater" in the "Wireless" ("WLAN") menu. If the menu is not displayed, enable the Advanced View first.
  3. Enable the option "Access point".
  4. Click "Apply" to save the settings.

2 Configuring the repeater

Preparations

  1. Either use a network cable or wireless LAN to connect a computer to the FRITZ!Box you want to use as a repeater. If the computer is already connected to the FRITZ!Box that establishes the internet connection, clear this connection.

Adjusting the wireless settings

Configure the following settings in the repeater so your wireless devices can always automatically connect to the FRITZ!Box with the strongest signal (wireless roaming):

  1. Click "Wireless" ("WLAN") in the FRITZ!Box user interface.
  2. Click "Radio Network" in the "Wireless" ("WLAN") menu.
  3. For the frequency band being used, enter the same "Name of the wireless radio network (SSID)" that you entered in the access point. If the repeater supports more than one frequency band but only one is displayed, enable the Advanced View first.
  4. Click "Apply" to save the settings.
  5. Click "Security" in the "Wireless" ("WLAN") menu.
  6. Enable the option "WPA encryption".
  7. Select "WPA2 (CCMP)" for the "WPA mode". If not all of your wireless devices support WPA2 encryption, select the option "WPA + WPA2".
  8. In the "Network key" field, enter the same network key that you entered in the access point.
  9. Click "Apply" to save the settings.

Configuring the operating mode

  1. Click "Wireless" ("WLAN") in the FRITZ!Box user interface.
  2. Click "Mesh/Repeater" or "Repeater" in the "Wireless" ("WLAN") menu. If the menu is not displayed, enable the Advanced View first.
  3. Enable the option "Repeater".
  4. Under "Access Point Selection", search for the name of the wireless network (SSID) of the access point and select it. If the access point is not listed, decrease the distance between it and the repeater and click the "Refresh List" button.
  5. Enter the network key of the access point in the "Network key" field.
  6. Click "Apply" to save the settings.

Now the wireless connection between both FRITZ!Boxes is established.

3 Finding the ideal location for the repeater

  1. Select a location for the repeater where the wireless connection between other wireless devices (for example smartphones, tablets) and the access point is flawless.
  2. Do not position the repeater directly in the corner of a room.
  3. Position the repeater so that it is as unobstructed as possible, i.e. not directly in back of or under an obstacle such as pieces of furniture or a heater.
  4. Position the repeater as high in the room as possible, for example on a shelf.
  5. Make sure that there are as few obstacles as possible between the repeater and the access point. Especially metallic objects or objects containing water, for example radiators, refrigerators, or even houseplants, significantly reduce the quality of the wireless signal.
  6. Position the repeater away from other transmitters, for example microwaves, wireless speakers, or Bluetooth devices.

4 Setting up telephony

If you also want to use the telephone numbers configured in the access point with telephones connected to the router:

  1. Configure the FRITZ!Box for making telephone calls over the other FRITZ!Box.

5 Opening the user interface

Enter fritz.box as usual to call up the user interface of the access point. You can access the user interface of the repeater via the home network overview of the access point:

  1. Click "Home Network" in the user interface of the FRITZ!Box (access point).
  2. Click "Home Network Environment" in the "Home Network" menu.
  3. Click the link for the repeater.

    Note:You can also use the IP address that the repeater obtains from the access point, for example 192.168.178.25, to open the user interface. The IP address can be found in the home network overview of the access point under "Devices and Users".

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