Fiber optic networks offer a great connection speed for devices connected in the home, to the point of being able to "settle" for the modem offered by the telephone operator. If, however, we are particularly demanding users and we only want the best for our home network, one of the best modem producers of the latest generation is AVM, which offers the FRITZ! Box modems which have always been considered the best for coverage, for connection capacity to the telephone exchange and for the management of advanced functions. However, if we have an FTTH connection (i.e. fiber in the home), it may be difficult to understand how to connect the FRITZ! Box correctly and navigate by replacing the modem supplied by the operator. In this guide we will then show you how to use FRITZ! Box modems on FTTH fiber optic network, showing you the steps to follow in order to use the new modem in cascade with the old one immediately and how to completely replace the operator modem, so as to navigate only with the FRITZ! Box.
How to connect FRITZ! Box to an FTTH network
Currently we can use the FRITZ! Box on the FTTH network in two different ways: by creating a cascade with the operator's modem (safe and fast choice) or by attempting to replace the proprietary modem with the FRITZ! Box, which will thus become the only modem present in our home. The latter scenario is the best, but may require additional steps depending on the type of fiber optic connection made at home.Create the cascade between the two modems
If we don't want to waste a lot of time and we want to operate alone without having to contact the operator's telephone assistance, just create the cascade between the two modems and configure both to be able to live together without problems. Obviously from an aesthetic point of view the solution is not very nice, since we will still have two modems in sight, but we can try to hide the operator's one (maybe in a drawer or in a piece of furniture) and leave only the FRITZ! Box exposed (more nice to show).First we make the physical connection between the two modems: let's get an Ethernet cable of the right length and connect the FRITZ! Box and the operator modem using free Ethernet LAN ports on the back of both (for convenience we recommend you connect the LAN port 1 of the proprietary modem to the LAN 1 port of the FRITZ! Box; if we use the Fastgate, connect the FRITZ! Box to the LAN 4 / WAN port).
Once this connection is made, we access the operator 's modem management panel and disable Wi-Fi, firewall and NAT by navigating the settings (where possible), then identify the menu or option called DMZ . After identifying the DMZ menu, we insert the IP address inside which the FRITZ! Box responds (if we have to enter the IP manually, go to the LAN or Network section to find out which IP has been assigned).
After carrying out these steps we can finally configure the FRITZ! Box: we access its configuration panel via a notebook connected via Ethernet cable (we remind you that the address to access is //fritz.box or //192.168.178.1 ), let's go in the Internet menu, press on the Access data menu, expand the drop-down menu Internet Provider, select Other Internet provider, put a check in the box Connection to external modem or router, activate the item Create Internet connection autonomously in the Mode section, tick the option No in the Access data section then enter the line speed in the Downstream and Upstream fields (to cover all types of FTTH well we recommend setting 1, 000, 000 kB / s in Downstream and 100, 000 kB / s in Upstream ).
Click on Apply at the bottom of the window to confirm. Now you just have to try surfing the Internet using the FRITZ! Box's Wi-Fi network or the laptop still connected via Ethernet.
With this configuration we will be able to navigate at the maximum speed allowed by our line without perceiving the slightest slowdown or delay. To learn more about the modems connected in cascade, we recommend you read our guide. Connect a new router to the modem without changing the network .
Use only the FRITZ! Box as an FTTH modem
If, on the other hand, we wanted to completely replace the modem supplied by the operator, we must first of all recognize the type of FTTH line that is active in our home. Various types of FTTH connection are currently available:- SFP connection : the fiber optic wires reach the operator's modem and the luminous data are converted through a special SFP adapter.
- ONT connection : the optical fiber reaches the ONT optical terminal (which works as an external signal converter), which provides an Ethernet port for connecting the modems.
Let's make sure to use the LAN 1 port of our FRITZ! Box, so as to automatically obtain the access parameters of our connection. If after connecting to the ONT we are unable to surf the Internet, we access the FRITZ! Box configuration panel, go to the Internet menu, access the Access data menu, expand the Internet Provider drop-down menu and select Connection to modem or router external, so you can immediately navigate with the new modem without any restrictions.
To configure the FRITZ! Box for each individual operator that offers FTTH, we recommend reading the help pages provided by AVM:
- Vodafone
- TIM
- Wind 3
- Fastweb
- Tiscali
Conclusions
Thanks to the new laws on free modems, we can also use the FRITZ! Box on FTTH connections, which until some time ago were supplied with very closed and difficult to replace devices. If we are impractical users, we advise you to immediately create the cascade and therefore keep the two modems; if we love the order, we can easily replace the operator's modem and use only the FRITZ! Box.If we want to get an FTTH connection at home, we invite you to read our Best Optical Fiber guides : check coverage and offers and apps to check fiber optic coverage .
If instead of the FRITZ! Box we want to use other types of modems, we can choose them from our guide Best Modem to buy (fiber, dual band, wireless AC) .
