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Knowledge document #3377

Why can the FRITZ!Box user interface only be opened using the fallback IP address?

Normally you can open the FRITZ!Box user interface by entering fritz.box and the fallback IP address http://169.254.1.1 in a web browser. The fallback IP can even be used with the FRITZ!Box if you assigned your own IP addresses and forgot the IP address of your FRITZ!Box, for example. The same functions are available if you use the fallback IP address to open the user interface instead of fritz.box.

In the following, we describe all of the measures we know of that will enable you to open the user interface with fritz.box again. Follow the steps in order; after each step, check whether you can then open it. Instead, you can also continue to use the fallback IP 169.254.1.1 without any restrictions.

1 FRITZ!Box is not set up as an internet router

In order for the FRITZ!Box to respond to fritz.box, it may not be configured as a Mesh Repeater or an IP client:

  1. Call up the address http://169.254.1.1 in a web browser.
  2. Click "Home Network" and then "Network".
  3. Click on the "Network Settings" tab.
  4. Enable the option "Internet router".
  5. Click "OK" to save the settings.

2 FRITZ!Box's DHCP server is not enabled

The FRITZ!Box must be configured as a DHCP server in order for it to respond to fritz.box:

  1. Call up the address http://169.254.1.1 in a web browser.
  2. Click "Home Network" and then "Network".
  3. Click on the "Network Settings" tab.
  4. Click "Additional Settings" in the section "WAN setting" or "LAN Settings" to display all of the settings.
  5. Click the "IPv4 Settings" button.
  6. Enable the DHCP server and define the range from which the FRITZ!Box assigns IP addresses.

    Note:The FRITZ!Box has the IP address 192.168.178.1 (subnet mask 255.255.255.0) and assigns IP addresses from xxx.20 to xxx.200 in the factory settings.

  7. Click "Apply" to save the settings.

3 DNS queries cannot be answered

If the network device did not automatically obtain its IP and server addresses but they were assigned manually instead, DNS queries are sent via the FRITZ!Box's internet connection, but not to the FRITZ!Box's DNS server. The DNS servers on the internet cannot answer the DNS query for fritz.box:

  1. Check whether the network device automatically obtains its IP and DNS server addresses or whether the addresses were entered manually.
  2. If the addresses were entered manually:
    1. Configure the other DNS servers directly in the FRITZ!Box.
    2. Configure the network adapter so that the DNS server addresses are obtained automatically.
    • If the addresses are obtained automatically, continue with the next section.

4 DHCP Client service is not enabled in Windows

If the "DHCP Client" service was disabled in Windows, the FRITZ!Box cannot respond to fritz.box:

  1. In the Windows task bar, click (Start) and then "Windows Administrative Tools" or "All apps" and then "Windows Tools".
  2. Double-click the entry "Services".
  3. Double-click the entry "DHCP Client" displayed in the "Name" column.
  4. Select "Automatic" as the startup type.
  5. Click "Start" (if available) and then "OK" or "Apply".
  6. Restart your computer.

5 Firewall and security software are interfering with communication

Firewalls and security software can interfere with the communication between the computer and the FRITZ!Box:

  1. Temporarily uninstall firewalls and security software, such as "Internet Security" from Kaspersky.
  2. Check whether you can open the FRITZ!Box user interface now.
  3. If you can open the user interface now, security software was preventing it from opening. Reinstall the software and configure the software so that it allows connections from the computer to the FRITZ!Box to be established. Refer to the manufacturer for information on how to set it up, for example consult the manual.
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