WLAN router in the test: AVM Fritzbox 7510

For around 100 euros is the

Fritz box 7510

the cheapest modem router from AVM with Wi-Fi 6. However, the manufacturer has eliminated a few features: The WLAN only works over 2.4 GHz, the faster 5 GHz frequency does not support the Fritzbox. In addition, it only has one gigabit LAN connection and the USB port only works at 2.0 speeds.

AVM Fritzbox 7510 at Amazon

When it comes to modem and telephone functions, on the other hand, the 7510 shows no deficits: it can be used on VDSL connections with supervectoring and allows a download rate of up to 300 Mbit/s. This makes it suitable for an All-IP connection from all providers such as Telekom, 1&1, Vodafone, O2 and others.

Good internet, weak home network equipment

It also offers a DECT base station for up to six cordless phones and five integrated answering machines. You connect an analogue telephone or fax via a TAE or RJ11 socket. In addition, the inexpensive Fritzbox also supports the AVM mesh function: you can easily connect it to other Fritzbox routers or Fritz repeaters.

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There is only one gigabit LAN port on the back of the case.

© Thomas Rau

This somewhat strange equipment mix of comprehensive modem router and castrated WLAN router functions limits the areas of application of the 7510: It is recommended, for example, for very small WLAN networks that can do without a fast wireless network or in which only 2.4 -GHz clients are on the move – for example a network environment for smart home devices. Because of its telephone capabilities, it can also be used as an additional DECT base station and telephone system in addition to a “large” Fritzbox if you want to extend the DECT range or use additional telephones.

The Fritzbox 7510 can also be used as an IP client or WLAN router behind a provider modem or router. But that is inconvenient: It does not have a WAN connection for this, so the connection to the provider device must be made using a LAN cable via the only LAN port on the Fritzbox, whose menu can then only be accessed via WLAN.

Fritzbox 7510: space and power saving

Compact housing The housing of the 7510 corresponds to the Fritzbox 7530 AX – it is therefore significantly more compact than, for example, the Fritzbox 7590 AX. The router reveals its status via five LEDs for power/Internet connection, WLAN, telephone/DECT, connection/WPS and an info LED. You can use three buttons on the housing to switch the WLAN on and off, register DECT devices and bring the 7510 into the WLAN or Mesh. In addition, each of the three buttons serves as confirmation if you want to change certain settings in the Fritzbox menu and don’t have a DECT telephone at hand.

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Moderate speed: There is only USB 2.0 for external storage

© Thomas Rau

In the test, Fritz-OS 7.30 is installed on the Fritzbox 7510 with the well-known and extensive user interface. From the factory, the menu and the WLAN connection are secured with preset passwords that are on the underside of the housing and on a card supplied.

The functions and setting options of the Fritzbox 7510 largely correspond to those of other Fritzboxes: For example, there is extensive parental control with restrictions on online time and web services. There is also a guest WLAN that can be set in great detail. And IPv6 support, Fritz-NAS and the possibility of remote access via MyFritz are not missing from the 7510.

WLAN only over 2.4 GHz

The maximum WLAN speed of the Fritzbox 7510 is almost 600 Mbit/s. It uses two MIMO streams over 2.4 GHz for this, but only achieves the specified top speed if it can use 40 MHz wide radio channels – in practice this rarely happens: due to the often overcrowded 2.4 GHz band Most routers work with 20 MHz channels.

In the WLAN test, the Fritzbox transfers its data packets to the Lenovo notebook Legion 5 Pro with the Intel WLAN chip AX211. Its 5 GHz capabilities are idle because the 7510 is limited to the 2.4 GHz frequency, but with two MIMO streams it also fits perfectly with the AVM router in this frequency band.

The Fritzbox achieves 114 Mbit/s over the short measuring distance of three meters between router and WLAN client – ​​that is enough to bring the bandwidth of most VDSL tariffs into the home network unhindered under good conditions. Compared to the Fritzbox 7530 AX, the 7510 is even a bit better.

At measuring position 2, about 25 meters away from the router across two rooms, the Fritzbox 7510 runs out of breath: The Lenovo notebook only gets 28 Mbit/s – but here too it is slightly better than the 7530 AX. The latency of the WLAN connection is 18 milliseconds on average – that’s decent.

WLAN router: How we test

USB 2.0 slows down NAS transfers

We test how the Fritzbox 7510 performs as a NAS system with an external USB SSD on the 2.0 port of the AVM router. In addition to the low USB bandwidth, the slow dual-core CPU also indicates that the 7510 is not a fast network storage device. The measurements prove that: When reading, it only manages 33 MB/s. It is again in good company with the Fritzbox 7530 AX, which can also only connect external storage with USB 2.0. WLAN routers with a USB 3.0 port, on the other hand, can compete with real NAS systems with hard drives with read rates of between 80 and 100 MB/s.

On the other hand, the Fritzbox 7510 is very economical: It consumes less than six watts when a LAN and WLAN device are connected but no transmission is taking place. With WLAN transfer, it uses just over eight watts: This means it consumes a little less than the 7530 AX and is well below the power consumption of a Fritzbox 7590 AX.