Recommend:
To the knowledge base
Knowledge document #3244

Setting up the FRITZ!Box as an IP client

You can set up your FRITZ!Box for operation as an IP client and connect it to your other router with a network cable. The FRITZ!Box then uses the existing internet connection of your other router. In this case

  • the firewall of the FRITZ!Box is disabled.
  • computers, smartphones, and other devices connected to the FRITZ!Box still obtain their IP settings from the existing router.
  • all network devices have unrestricted access to all other devices, regardless of whether they are connected to the FRITZ!Box or the other router.

Requirements / Restrictions

  • Parental controls, the online meter, guest access, VPN connections, and all functions that require a public IP address (for example port sharing) are not available in IP client mode.
  • The FRITZ!Box does not support operation as an IP client via Wi-Fi.

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

1 Configuring the operating mode

  1. Click "Home Network" in the FRITZ!Box user interface.
  2. Click "Network" in the "Home Network" menu.
  3. Click on the "Network Settings" tab.
  4. Enable the option "IP client" in the section "Operating Mode in the Home Network".
  5. Enable the option "via LAN".
  6. If the router does not provide a DHCP server:
    1. Click "Change connection settings".
    2. Enable the option "Configure the IP address manually".
    3. In the "IP address" field, enter an unused IP address from the router's IP network.
    4. Enter the subnet mask of the router in the "Subnet mask" field.
    5. Enter the IP address of the router in the "Default gateway" and "Primary DNS server" fields.
  7. Click "Apply" to save the settings.

The FRITZ!Box is now configured for operation as an IP client.

Important:When configured as an IP client, the FRITZ!Box can no longer be reached at http://fritz.box. See section "Opening the user interface" below for instructions on accessing this FRITZ!Box.

2 Connecting the FRITZ!Box with the network

  1. Use a network cable to connect a LAN port on the FRITZ!Box either directly to a LAN port on the router, or by means of a hub or switch.

    Important:If you want to use the "WAN" port to connect the FRITZ!Box with the router, you must configure the WAN port as an additional LAN port.

3 Opening the user interface

When used as an IP client, you can no longer open its user interface by entering http://fritz.box. Instead, you must enter the FRITZ!Box's IP address to open it:

  1. If the FRITZ!Box obtains its IP address via DHCP, enter the IP address that the router assigned to the FRITZ!Box, for example 192.168.10.20, in the web browser.
    • If you assigned an IP address to the FRITZ!Box yourself, enter the IP address that you entered in the "IP address" field in the user interface, for example 192.168.10.2, in the web browser.

    • Note:If you have forgotten the FRITZ!Box's IP address, you can use the FRITZ!Box's fallback IP address to open the user interface.

4 Setting up telephony

If you want to connect telephones to the FRITZ!Box and then use them to make telephone calls over the other router's internet connection:

  1. Set up the FRITZ!Box to make telephone calls over the other router.

5 Setting up Wi-Fi

If you are using a FRITZ!Repeater or FRITZ!Powerline with Wi-Fi support, you can use Mesh and set up the FRITZ!Box as the Mesh Master.

If the other router is a wireless router, you can use the FRITZ!Box as an additional wireless access point. This way your wireless devices can access the internet and other devices in the home network over the FRITZ!Box, even if the Wi-Fi network of your router is not available.

Configure the following settings in the FRITZ!Box so that your wireless devices can always automatically connect with the Wi-Fi network with the strongest signal (Wi-Fi roaming):

  1. Click "Wi-Fi" ("Wireless") in the FRITZ!Box user interface.
  2. Click "Wi-Fi Network" ("Radio Network") in the "Wi-Fi" ("Wireless") menu.
  3. For the frequency band being used, enter the name of the router's Wi-Fi network as the "Name of the Wi-Fi network (SSID)".
  4. Click "Apply" to save the settings.
  5. Click "Wi-Fi Channel" ("Radio Channel") in the "Wi-Fi" ("Wireless") menu.
  6. Enable the option "Adjust Wi-Fi channel settings" ("Adjust radio channel settings") in the section "Wi-Fi Channel Settings".
  7. From the drop-down list "Wi-Fi channel", select the channel used by the wireless router for the Wi-Fi frequency band being used.
  8. Click "Apply" to save the settings.
  9. Click "Security" in the "Wi-Fi" ("Wireless") menu.
  10. Enable the Wi-Fi encryption used by the wireless router.
  11. Enter the wireless router's network key in the "Network key" field.
  12. Click "Apply" to save the settings.
Language selection