FritzOS 7.9 Beta: Better network overview and more security for IP6 data transmission
FritzOS, the operating system for the Fritzbox, is approaching version 8.0. A new lab version indicates which features will be available. You can also try out beta 7.90 for yourself.
AVM, the company behind the popular Fritzbox routers, is currently working on a major firmware update for current Fritzboxes. You can already download a beta version of the update and test it yourself. It is one of a series of improvements that run under version 7.90 and will ultimately lead to the release of FritzOS 8.0 after extensive testing. It is not yet known when.
Lab version 7.90 focuses on user-friendliness, both in router setup and on the FritzOS interface. There are also some new features for smart home control.
New functions for user-friendliness and security
The update should also allow you to rename network devices in the Mesh view of your Fritzbox. The Mesh view clearly shows you which access point your devices are connected to, which frequency band or LAN port they are using and what bandwidth is available to them. However, if you want to change the often cryptic device names, you have to switch to the network overview and search for the devices there. You can also rename devices in your guest WLAN with the update. You can also assign a device class icon to all devices, which improves the overview.
The update also includes a graphical online monitor. It should show you details about the utilisation of your Internet connection by the individual network devices. This could be interesting for larger households, for example, where several people share a rather narrow bandwidth. This makes it easier to identify bottlenecks. Increasing the number of simultaneous DECT calls from three to five is also particularly relevant for larger communities.
IPv6 data is transmitted via a secure Wireguard VPN tunnel as a result of the update. Wireguard is a VPN protocol that is known for its high connection speed and low bandwidth requirements. The secure VPN tunnel means that your data is transmitted in encrypted form and ensures that data is not manipulated in the process.
New smart home functions
If you use your Fritzbox to control your smart home devices, you will also benefit from some optimisations. You can now set a target temperature for smart thermostats. The colour, saturation and brightness of lamps can be adjusted and you can set the position in per cent for shutter automation. It is also overdue that routines can be triggered by a set time or sunrise and sunset.
In addition to these new functions of FritzOS, there are numerous optimisations of existing features. You can find a complete overview of all changes here](https://avm.de/fritz-labor/frisch-aus-der-entwicklung/neues-und-verbesserungen/). If you would like to test the lab version yourself, you can download it here.
If you don't have a Fritzbox yourself, but would like to switch: you can browse our shop here.
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