Done in no time: This turns the Fritzbox into a network drive

If you own a Fritzbox, you can use it as a drive in your home network and easily access it from your smartphone or computer. It only takes a few minutes and all you need is a USB memory.

A Fritzbox is much more than a router, but offers many other practical functions. Among other things, you can use it to integrate a USB memory connected to it into your home network. Such a NAS (Network Attached Storage) then appears on the computer as a drive with its own letter and you can use it like built-in hard drives. Because FritzOS now supports the SMB 3 network protocol, this also works for Apple computers with macOS Catalina. It is just as easy to exchange data with the smartphone on which the MyFritz app is installed. You don't have to be a nerd for that, everyone can do it in a jiffy.

Prepare USB memory

First you check whether the selected USB memory has one of the permitted formats: NTFS, FAT / FAT32 or ext2 / 3/4. In addition, the memory must not have more than four partitions. In Windows 10, you plug it into a free USB port on your computer and then right-click on its icon in File Explorer. Under properties you get the necessary information. If necessary, reformat the memory by right clicking on the icon and then Format elects.

On Mac, right-click the save icon on the desktop and then click information. If you need to format the drive, use the hard disk utility. If you can't find it, just enter the term in the Spotlight search (magnifying glass in the bar at the top right) and then click on the result. There you select the memory on the left and click in the top center Clear.

When the memory is prepared, you plug it into the Fritzbox. Then go to the Fritzbox user interface on the computer in the browser by typing "fritz.box" (without details) in the address window. After you have possibly entered your password, go to the menu on the left system – Fritz! Box users and then clicks the pen next to his user profile. There must be a check mark next to it Access to NAS content be set. Then you insure yourself under Fritz! Box usersthat at Registration in the home network Not Passwordless loginbut one of the other two options is activated. Once that's done, it goes down Home network – USB / storage to the rider USB remote connection. The box in front of USB memory should be empty or the entire remote connection should be deactivated.

Then put under Home network – USB storage – devices in the tab Home network sharing a check mark next to Storage (NAS) functions of Fritz! Box (model name) a check mark. There you can also keep or rename the drive name "FRITZ.NAS". And if you have an old Windows computer that does not support the SMB 2 or 3 network protocols, add a check mark Enable support for SMBv1. Finally, click on Take over.

Integrate NAS on the Windows computer

To see the NAS on the computer as a drive, you have to make a few entries. In Windows 10 you open the File Explorer, enter " fritz.box" in its address field and press Enter. Then a window appears in which you enter the user name and password of the Fritzbox. Now you can see the NAS in Explorer. You click on it with the right mouse button and then choose Connect network drive… out. Possibly you change the assigned drive letter and then click on Complete. That’s it.

It's just as easy on Mac. You choose that finder and then click at the top of the bar Go to and then on Connect to server. Then type in the address field "smb: //fritz.box" and click on Connect. You may also have to enter the user name and password for the Fritzbox. Now the drive is already in the Finder. You double click on it and then mark the name of the folder you want to include permanently. Then go to the top of the bar Filing and chooses Create alias. Finally, drag the folder to the left of the Finder Favoriteswhere it appears after a while. Finished.

Simply install the MyFritz app on your smartphone and then find the integrated memory below (iOS) or on the left (Android) in the menu Fritz! NAS. Here, among other things, you can easily transfer pictures from smartphones.