FRITZ!Box
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FRITZ!Box is the name of a series of electronic devices from the German company AVM GmbH.
[edit] Functionality
There are several FRITZ!Box models available, but the most popular are the ones that combine DSL and SIP VOIP. The FRITZ!Box Fon WLAN for instance combines the following functionality:
- DSL modem
- Router
- Network switch
- Wireless access point
- PABX for both ISDN and POTS phone lines, and for both ISDN and POTS phones
- Session Initiation Protocol VOIP functionality
- Analog telephony adapter for both ISDN and POTS phones
- USB Ethernet adapter to plug directly into a laptop's USB port
[edit] Versions
Most FRITZ!Box devices come in three versions:
- German version for Germany
- German version for Austria and Switzerland
- International (English) version
Beside the obvious different language on the web interface, they also differ in the fact that the international version is available in two ADSL standards: ITU G.992.1 Annex A and ITU G.992.1 Annex B. The Germany version is only available as Annex B. This is due to fact that Annex A is not used in Germany (in Germany both analogue and ISDN lines use Annex-B ADSL, while in most of the world Annex-A ADSL is used on analogue lines and Annex B ADSL is used on ISDN lines).
The difference is in the use of the available frequency spectrum of analogue telephone lines (POTS).
Spectral allocation of services in a typical telephone line (from low to high frequencies)
|--ANALOG--|---------ISDN---------|---------------------------------------------------DSL---------------------------------------------------|
The Annex-A mode is more efficient since it uses the whole available (ISDN+DSL) spectrum. It allows for longer distances from the central DSL Access Multiplexer (DSLAM) to the subscriber. In Annex-B mode the ISDN range is spared (wasted), even for ADSL-Over-Analog subscribers.
The Fritz!Box can be changed[2] from German/Annex-B to English/Annex-A and vice versa by firmware. For the newer models the available international firmware updates may be somewhat behind the newest German ones.
