Having reviewed the brain of my home network, the FRITZ!Box 7590, we now turn to its satellites: the repeaters I use in the house to cover the whole building across its two flats as well as possible.
The two repeaters in use are the FRITZ!Repeater 3000, which we have already reviewed, and the FRITZ!Repeater 2400, its little brother, which we look at more closely here, showing its features, functions and quality.
PACKAGING
In the box we find the repeater which, unlike its big brother the 3000, has the plug built into the body. That is awkward for anyone short of space, since it forces the user to rely on an extension lead or power strip to place it anywhere other than right at the wall socket.
As for the components, we have:
– A red button on the front that lets it communicate with the modem and, thanks to Mesh technology, connect automatically to the modem to act as a repeater for the network.
– A Wi-Fi indicator on the front that shows the signal strength it is receiving (that is, how strong the modem's Wi-Fi is when it reaches the repeater).
– A LAN port on the back. This can pick up the incoming signal if we want to use an Ethernet cable to bring in the connection to be extended, or send a connection out if we choose to link the repeater to the modem over Wi-Fi.
SETUP
Setting up the FRITZ!Repeater 2400, as with the 3000, is really simple and quick. Just follow the instructions and the repeater is easy to configure. You only need to decide which connection to use (Wi-Fi or LAN) and press the button on the modem and on the repeater to configure everything automatically.
To extend our connection we can therefore use a direct LAN connection.
Alternatively, it can be done directly over Wi-Fi, if the network reaches reasonably well to where we will place our extender.
Even though I have a direct Ethernet socket, I chose to extend the network over Wi-Fi and keep the LAN port on the back free to connect the TV.
Once the repeater is connected to the modem, the Mesh system of the FRITZ!Box 7590 modem and the FRITZ!Repeater 2400 comes into play. Even though a bridge extends the network, Mesh technology lets the connected device switch network (between repeater and modem) automatically, without the risk of poor signal in a remote corner because the device failed to move over to the repeater by itself. In essence, the device will automatically "pick up" the connection where the signal is strongest, and everything is handled as if it were a single network throughout the home. In practice we won't notice whether we are connected to the modem or the repeater, because thanks to Mesh technology the two networks are treated as one.
USER INTERFACE
The user interface is the same as the modem's, since as a repeater it uses the same source IP as the modem. In the MyFritz area we can therefore configure our extender in the finest detail and carry out firmware updates when available.
We can also analyse the repeater's connection quality and see the speeds it actually lets us browse at.
CONSIDERATIONS
For the mid range it is certainly the best compromise on the market, and with Mesh technology it is the obvious choice for anyone who wants the maximum Wi-Fi signal strength at home and uses a modem from the German maker, since this allows full use of Mesh technology, which on this FRITZ!Repeater 2400 is truly high-performing. The price is fair for the product (around €75), and signal quality, stability and range are certainly points to consider when buying a product to extend your connection over a not-too-large area.
If the connection has to be extended over a particularly large area, we advise against buying the FRITZ!Repeater 2400 and recommend upgrading to another very good product with greater reach, the FRITZ!Repeater 3000 (price around €110).
CONCLUSIONS
The connection has always been stable and, since the incoming speed on my modem is not particularly high, I browse at the same speed through the repeater too.
Bear in mind, though, that the satellite extender does not have the same power and speed as the modem. This is because it uses tri-band connection technology with a 5GHz radio that links directly to the modem, and that is exactly what makes Mesh technology possible. Then there is a 2.4 GHz radio and a 5 GHz radio used for browsing, with a speed of 600/1733 Mbps. This means that at high incoming speeds at the modem, the repeater will not be able to guarantee the same performance, but it will still be enough to do everything you normally need to do.
Unlike its big brother, the 3000, we noticed none of the annoying sporadic dropouts that affect our FRITZ!Repeater 3000 and require a restart of the unit to restore correct operation.
FRITZ!Repeater 2400
Translated from the Italian original. Read in Italian
