FRITZ!Repeater 3000 AX Review: Now also in Wi-Fi 6

FRITZ!Repeater 3000AX the third tri-band repeater Of AVM after the FRITZ!Repeater 3000 models and the top of the range FRITZ!Repeater 6000. also the third repeater from AVM with support for Wifi 6after 1200AX it’s the same 6000 (despite the name). This support enables different types of advantages, such as better performance and transfer speed, but also in managing a greater number of devices connected to the network.

Connectivity solutions of this type go particularly well with the most current usage scenarios, which involve the presence of many devices connected to the Wi-Fi network in the home or office. They are also optimized for configurations Mesh Wi-Fi: in fact, it is enough to press a button on the repeater to connect it to the existing network, changing its SSID and password, and extending its range. If you need to manage the Wi-Fi network in a multi-storey house or office, the Wi-Fi Mesh network becomes indispensable.

The three bands made available by the 3000AX are from 2.4GHz (2.483 GHz, for a maximum power of 100 mW), from 5.15GHz (5.35 GHz, power of 200 mW) and from 5.47GHz (7.725GHz, 1000mW maximum). The availability of a third network is very important for a repeater, because it is thus able to dedicate a network exclusively to Wi-Fi communications with the router, maximizing transfer performance.

In this sense, the AVM technology known by the name of Crossband Repeating, or the automatic band selection, which allows the device to choose the most efficient path to the connected wireless devices in all circumstances. Thus, the FRITZ!Repeater 3000 AX allows several applications, such as streaming, gaming or video conferencing, to run smoothly in parallel. FRITZ!Repeater 3000 AX establishes Wi-Fi networks with a channel bandwidth of 80MHz and also supports 160MHz to 5GHz.

All this possible thanks to the presence inside the 3000 AX of three WLAN radio units, a configuration similar to the one we find in the two repeaters mentioned above. In terms of pricethe newcomer falls between the two “old”also because it offers features that are between these two, beyond support for Wi-Fi 6. In particular, some users may suffer from the absence of the 2.5 Gigabit port (available on the 6000), given that here we have two LAN ports “alone” from 1 Gigabit.

From the 3000 and 6000 models previously arrived on the market, the 3000 AX also takes up the design with vertical development, decidedly more elegant than in the past of FRITZ devices! and suitable for all furnishings. Furthermore, compared to the 6000, it has a slightly larger upper section. The repeater can connect to the router via Wi-Fi, but can also be configured in mode “LAN bridge” via a LAN cable, which is obviously the best arrangement to reduce network latencies and uncertainties.

Despite the need to use an external power supply (however small), FRITZ! Repeater 3000 AX consumes very little, no more than 5 or 6 watts. As for the bands on which the repeater is able to transmit, as mentioned, we have two 5 GHz bands and one 2.4 GHz band. The fastest radio unit has four antennas and reaches a nominal speed of 2,400 Mbps: from 5 GHz and responsible for data exchange between repeater and router. The other 5Ghz unit touches i 1,200Mbps with two dedicated antennas, while two more are reserved for the unit operating on the 2.4GHz band, for a theoretical maximum speed of 600Mbps. Precisely on this aspect there is another important difference compared to the 6000 model mentioned above: the latter, in fact, dedicates four antennas to each unit, which allows to reach higher theoretical speeds.

The antennas in the FRITZ! they are always internal, which allows not to affect the external appearance of the devices. That said, more antennas allow you to service more devices at the same time faster. Additionally, the 6000 uses multi-user MIMO, which the 3000 AX lacks. On the one hand, this reduces the advantages of Wi-Fi 6 support, which in itself is able to guarantee higher transmission speeds but, data in hand, is converted, however, in minimal performance differences.

Naturally, Mesh Wi-Fi is the best application for such a device. FRITZ!Repeater 3000 AX can work in tandem with any router, but provides the best performance with a FRITZ!Boxespecially with the 7590AX equipped with Wi-Fi 6 support. In this case, just press the button briefly “Connect” on the repeater and the button “Connect/WPS” on the router for the automatic configuration procedure to start instantly. The repeater is assigned to the router and borrows all its settings, as well as the SSID and password.

In this way we can not only extend the range of our Wi-Fi network but, perhaps more importantly, restore signal strength as well as near the router also near the repeater placed at a distance. Furthermore, if we move away from the router with a smartphone or laptop and approach the area of ​​the repeater, these devices will automatically connect to the network provided by the repeater, without the user having to do anything and immediately obtaining better network performance.

There FRITZ!App Wi-Fi helps the user to find the best position in which to position the repeater according to the intensity of the Wi-Fi signal and the user’s needs. The repeater can be easily connected to the mains via its power supply.

Furthermore, AVM’s solutions guarantee standards of encryption cutting-edge to the max privacy throughout the Mesh Wi-Fi network. In addition to the well-established encryption protocol WPA2the FRITZ!Repeater 3000 AX also supports the newer protocol WPA3 with advanced security features. The repeater, among other things, benefits from automatic acquisition of Wi-Fi encryption and all the important settings of the FRITZ!Box. Furthermore, it supports theguest access Wi-Fi of the FRITZ!Box and saving energy thanks to the night service for wireless and ECO modes.

We used our usual workstation for the Wi-Fi tests composed of a PC connected via a switch which is in turn connected to the router with a Cat 8 Ethernet cable, while with two laptops, one connected on the Wi-Fi 5 standard and the other on the Wi-Fi 6 standard, we went to test the Wi-Fi connection provided. The connections between the devices were simulated by means of iPerf, a software command line that allows you to measure bandwidth by sending a series of packets from a server to a client.

The tests convey to us the importance of the repeater from the point of view of performance in terms of signal intensity, but give us an idea of ​​the added value that Wi-Fi 6 support can give. The latter, in addition to increasing the number of managed devices on the network, it increased transfer speeds and performance dramatically. Furthermore, when looking for maximum performance, you must always opt for the 5 GHz band, as these tests show.

When AVM designed the new FRITZ!Repeater 3000 AX it first studied the latest market trends. For this reason, it has managed to churn out a device that meets the need to have Wi-Fi networks over large ranges where signal stability is not an issue anywhere in the living or office space, even if they are arranged on more floors. And then ideal for meeting recent entertainment needs, for which many users at home access streaming apps that require constant performance over time or cloud gaming, where it is necessary to optimize the available network resources in such a way as to exploit as many resources as possible without disturbing other network users.

It must also be emphasized that FRITZ!Repeater 3000 AX is currently placed in a middle position compared to other AVM proposals in terms of repeaters, being devoid of the 2.5 Gigabit port and multiuser MIMO function compared to FRITZ!Repeater 6000. For the rest, completely similar to the latter, re-proposing its ease of use and versatile software.

The FRITZ!Repeater 3000 AX is now available at the suggested retail price of 189 euros including VAT.