INTRODUCTION

   I still remember the very first time i logged into the world wide web back in 1994 via a 14.4kbit/s dial-up modem (i even remember the very first software i used to communicate with people living all over the world, KALI). So, from that going all the way to the 220Mbit/s VDSL connection that i have right now, well I'm sure you get my point. Unfortunately, not every network peripheral manufacturer out there supports VDSL connectivity today but the ones that do have released some very interesting models with supported speeds of up to 300Mbit/s. Why stop there however? Why not also add LTE functionality to a regular VDSL modem/router, that way if your landline fails for whatever reason, you can still be on the internet via the SIM card (internet redundancy). Well, this is exactly what AVM thought about and the end result is no other than the FRITZ!Box 6890 LTE (V2) which is also what I've been testing for quite a while now.

   AVM is one of Europe's leading manufacturers of products for broadband connections and the digital home. FRITZ! brand products are easy to use for everyone. They enable fast internet access, easy networking, convenient telephony and versatile Smart Home applications. The FRITZ!OS software regularly offers new features and keeps all FRITZ! products up-to-date and secure. Since starting out in Berlin in 1986, AVM' has focused on developing innovative products in-house. In 2020 the Berlin-based communications specialist had 840 employees and generated a turnover of 580 million euros.

   As with the FRITZ!Box 6850 which i reviewed a few weeks back (review here) the 6890 is also an LTE model based on the same 4G broadband cellular network technology which has been around for roughly a decade now. AVM will certainly update all their LTE lines with 5G connectivity soon but as i mentioned in my previous review it may take a while for compatibility issues and real world performance to reach optimal results. As for the FRITZ!Box 6890 well it combines VDSL/DSL and 4G LTE/3G UMTS/HSPA+ connectivity (fallback support - up to 300Mbit/s) with AC2533 dual-band Wi-Fi (5GHz 802.11ac at 1733bps and 2.4GHz 802.11n at 800Mbps with Multi-User MIMO support) so it's certainly a step up compared to the 6850 model. Of course, it also packs many features including an integrated DECT base station (with support for up to 6 cordless handsets), 2 detachable high-gain antennas, IP telephony, Media Server and NAS functionality (with remote access), WPS easy connect, green mode for decreased power consumption (USB & Wi-Fi), support for Smart Home Devices (either via FRITZ! devices or third-party devices with support for the DECT ULE/HAN FUN standard) and of course for AVM's MESH function. Under the hood of the FRITZ!Box 6890 LTE AVM has placed the AnyWan GRX550 dual-core network CPU together with the QCA9984 Wave-2 802.11ac 5GHz dual-band 4x4 (1733Mbit/s peak speed - fully supports Multi-User MIMO with both 160MHz and 80+80MHz channels) and QCA9985 802.11n 2.4GHz (800Mbit/s peak speed) radios by Qualcomm, 512MB DDR3L SDRAM by NANYA and 512MB flash memory by Macronix. As for available connectors the FRITZ!Box 6890 LTE has a single USB 3.0 port, Mini SIM slot, both analog and digital telephony ports, 4 gigabit Ethernet ports, WAN port and the VDSL/DSL port.