AVM is rolling out a fresh set of beta software for three networking devices this week, targeting the FRITZ!Box 5590 Fiber, the FRITZ!Repeater 2700, and the FRITZ!Repeater 1700n.
These updates, released on November 10 and 11, focus on squashing specific throughput bugs and stabilizing persistent connection issues for users.
New Firmware Fixes IPv6 Throughput and HomePod Mini Issues
The FRITZ!Box 5590 Fiber is receiving firmware version 08.40-138197 to address a critical bottleneck involving IPv6 traffic. In specific network configurations, users have reported degraded data transfer speeds when utilizing the newer IPv6 protocol compared to the legacy IPv4 standard. This throughput disparity—often invisible to casual users—can manifest as significant latency or throttled bandwidth during high-demand sessions.
Beyond the packet-switching architecture, the update resolves a recurring handshake failure between the router and the Apple HomePod Mini. Owners of the smart speaker have frequently flagged intermittent connectivity drops, a nuisance caused by how the router managed specific device discovery requests. By patching the underlying firmware logic, AVM aims to eliminate these handshake timeouts, ensuring the HomePod maintains a stable link to the home network.
Addressing 5 GHz Instability in Repeater Hardware
The FRITZ!Repeater 2700 (version 08.40-138212) and the FRITZ!Repeater 1700n (version 08.40-138211) are receiving more extensive stability patches. The main fix targets the 5 GHz frequency band, where users had reported complete connection drops between the repeater and the base FRITZ!Box. These disconnections often forced manual hardware reboots to re-establish the backhaul link.
The release notes also highlight a fix for “sporadic data traffic interruptions.” In technical terms, these are transient stalls where the buffer freezes for several seconds, effectively killing real-time applications like VoIP or video conferencing.
This behavior is often linked to frame loss during aggressive channel switching or poor signal handoff management. The update also addresses a specific edge case where clients were denied access to web traffic entirely, even when the underlying layer-2 wireless connection appeared to be active.
The Beta Development Cycle
As these releases fall under the official FRITZ!Labor program, they remain experimental. They are not yet production-ready builds for the general public, and the manufacturer explicitly encourages users to submit diagnostic feedback if they encounter further instability. This crowdsourced debugging is the primary mechanism for AVM to catch hardware-specific regression errors before the final, stable firmware rollout.
| Device | Firmware Version |
|---|---|
| FRITZ!Box 5590 Fiber | 08.40-138197 |
| FRITZ!Repeater 2700 | 08.40-138212 |
| FRITZ!Repeater 1700n | 08.40-138211 |
