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USB storage access is slow

Data transmission between a computer and a USB hard drive or USB memory stick connected to the FRITZ!Box is slower than specified in the USB specification.

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

1 Enabling USB 3.0 mode

The following step is only necessary if you are using a USB 3.0 storage device:

  1. Click "Home Network" in the FRITZ!Box user interface.
  2. Click "USB / Storage" in the "Home Network" menu.
  3. Click on the "USB Settings" tab.
  4. Enable the option "Power Mode USB 3.0" for the USB port.
  5. Click "Apply" to save the settings.

    Important:If the FRITZ!Box no longer detects the USB storage device when "Power mode USB 3.0" is enabled, then your USB storage device does not correctly identify itself as a USB 3.0 device. In this case, re-enable the option "Green Mode USB 2.0".

2 Using a USB 3.0 cable

The following step is only necessary if you used a USB cable to connect the USB 3.0 storage device to the FRITZ!Box:

  1. Use a USB 3.0 ("super speed") cable to connect the USB storage device to the FRITZ!Box. If you use a different type of USB cable, the storage device cannot be integrated as a USB 3.0 device.

3 Throughput lower due to functional principle

The maximum achievable throughput when accessing a USB storage device is lower with integrated systems like the FRITZ!Box due to the architecture than with Windows computers, for example. This is influenced by the

  • software or communication protocols (SMB, FTP, USB remote connection) being used.
  • architecture of and file system on the USB storage device (NTFS, exFAT, FAT/FAT32, ext2/ext3/ext4).

    Note:NTFS is a file system from Microsoft that was developed for use with Windows. NTFS support by the Linux-based FRITZ!OS is technically demanding, which means that access via NTFS is slower than with other file systems.

  • use of encryption techniques (FTPS, FTP over SSL/TLS).
  • transmission medium (Wi-Fi, LAN) used.
  • FRITZ!Box functions currently in use and the FRITZ!OS used.

Depending on these factors, throughput rates of up to 110 MB/s (900 Mbit/s) are possible. However, the write speed is normally significantly slower than the read speed.

If possible, we will include optimizations in future FRITZ!OS versions to increase the throughput.