Review: AVM Fritz!box Fon WLAN 7140 router

Not content with housing an 802.11g wireless and an ADSL2+ modem and router, the Fritz!box Fon WLAN 7140 also connects to your existing phone line allowing you to save money on phone bills. What’s more, you can keep your current telephone and use it for both normal and IP phone calls.

Up to 10 SIP-based VoIP (voice over IP) accounts can be configured and up to two telephones directly connected with different numbers and/or extensions assigned to each. If you make a large number of international calls to different countries, you can capitalise on any particularly low international rates offered by different VoIP providers. Built-in dialling rules automatically select the cheapest tariff, depending on the number you’re calling.

This latest version of the Fritz!box Fon WLAN incorporates an upgraded CPU and memory and replaces the rather redundant ISDN ports of the previous high-end model with extra 10/100Mbit Lan ports, bringing the total to four.

AVM regularly adds new features to their Fritz!box products by means of free downloadable firmware updates. It states the extra processing power in the Fritz!box 7140 will allow more advanced features to be installed in the near future, many of which are currently in beta test.

The Fritz!box is a very powerful product, but a great emphasis has been placed on ease of installation and ease of use. Everything has been made as sim ple as possible to set up and the manuals and software are clear and informative.

Advanced users may notice a lack of some more complex functions, even when the Expert Mode is enabled. For example, there’s no way to override your ISP’s default DNS via the Fritz!Box’s Web interface. However, there are many hidden features that will allow you to set these options, although they’re not officially supported by AVM.

Also new in the 7140 is a USB1.1 host port. This port allows you to connect and share USB printers by plugging them directly into the back of the router. All PCs on your network then have access to the printer without the need for any other computers on the network to be switched on. Alternatively you can use it to add USB storage which can be accessed via a built in password-protected FTP server over the Lan and, optionally, over the internet.

If you’re using one of AVM’s USB Wireless LAN sticks, you can take advantage of the Stick and Surf feature. Plugging the wireless adapter into the USB port causes the Fritz!box to transfer your wireless security settings into the Lan adapter so that when you plug it into your PC your wireless network is automatically pre-configured without the need to enter any security settings.

This latest ADSL router from AVM manages to cram in a heap of features without making it difficult to use. And with the advanced VoIP tool, it could end up saving you a fair amount off your phone bill.

Also consider:
Zyxel P-336M
A capable wireless solution with optional PC card adapter

D-Link DSL-G624M
Super G won’t suit all environments, but the extended coverage is a real bonus

Linksys WTR54GS Travel Router
A handy device for business users who want the ability to set up a wireless network on the move

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