The latest lab file on our download server, "fritzbox-labor-XXXX-xxxx.zip", contains
- the lab version for FRITZ!Box
- this "infolab.txt" file with important information on this lab version
- Information, feedback options and the file at en.avm.de/fritz-lab
New features:
- Wireless: Support for WPA3 [1]
- Mesh: Extended Mesh steering improves WiFi performance of mobile devices [2]
- USB / Storage: Supports current SMB versions (SMBv2/v3) [3]
- Telephony: Support for encrypted telephony
- Telephony: Supports online contacts from Apple (iCloud), Telekom (MagentaCLOUD), and CardDAV
- FRITZ!Fon: Smart telephone book displays matching suggestions even during number entry
- Internet: DNS over TLS for encrypted resolution of domain names
- System: Language selection in the user interface
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I. New Features, Improvements and Updates in this Lab
=====================================================
## Internet:
- **NEW** Support for encrypted resolution from domain names to IP addresses (DNS over TLS)
- **Improved** System event log entry for failed ticket entry (parental controls)
- **Improved** Display and modification of the IPv6 interface ID under "Home Network / Network / Network Connections"
- **Improved** Any domain name can be used to address a VPN remote peer, not just MyFRITZ! domain names
- **Improved** Incorrect configuration by using the same network address on both sides of a VPN connection with LAN-LAN linkup prevented
- **Improved** IP address range for the guest network increased to up to 253 devices
- **Change** IP compression (data compression) is no longer supported in VPN connections
## Wireless:
- **NEW** Support for WPA3 (SAE) added <more [1]>
- **NEW** OWE/Enhanced Open (Opportunistic Wireless Encryption) makes wireless LAN connections with the guest access (public WiFi hotspot) possible [4]
- **NEW** WPA3 (transition mode) also for connections to repeaters
- **Change** Support for WPS PIN has been removed
- **Change** Revision of messages on wireless LAN under "System / Events"
## Telephony
- **NEW** The "Calls" push mail message is extended by calls from door intercoms (including images)
- **NEW** Support for encrypted telephony (TLS and SRTP) for Deutsche Telekom, Easybell and dus.net
- **NEW** More online contacts (CardDAV) available
- **Improved** Telephone numbers can be assigned to more than one answering machine and thus up to five different recording and announcement modes can be used for these numbers via switching schedules (the first answering machine currently active for a number receives the call)
- **Improved** Maximum length for hold announcement increased from 8 to 30 seconds
- **Improved** Additional configuration options for the internal S0 bus
- **Improved** Separate tab for rejected calls in the call list
- **Improved** New VoIP provider profiles added
- **Improved** Option "Always register via an internet connection" added to predefined SIP trunk profiles
- **Improved** More detailed system events for security-relevant setting changes
## Smart Home:
- **NEW** Group with FRITZ!DECT 301 act as unified heating group *)
## DECT/FRITZ!Fon: **)
- **NEW** When you enter a telephone number, the system suggests the appropriate telephone book entries
- **NEW** Start screen for temperature display of a selected sensor
- **NEW** Display of FRITZ!Box system events with "OK" button in the FRITZ!Box start screen
- **Improved** Setting up call blocking in the handset is now easier
- **Improved** Telephone book display for FRITZ!Fon C4, C5 and C6 now faster
## Home Network:
- **Improved** "Mesh" added to properties in the network connection overview
- **Improved** Reliable display of new AVM Powerline products in the FRITZ!Box home network
- **Improved** More reliable indication of low powerline data rates in the FRITZ!Box home network
- **Change** "Smart Home" menu entry moved to top level and "DECT" menu moved to the "Telephony" area
## Mesh:
- **NEW** Extended Mesh steering improves WiFi performance of mobile devices <more [2]>
- **NEW** Event messages report when there is a network loop
- **NEW** FRITZ!Box's improved auto channel takes into account those sources of wireless interference (for example radar, baby monitor) that are detected by other products in the Mesh
## System:
- **NEW** Time period for automatic updates can be defined
- **NEW** Lab welcome page now with news and information about new products
- **NEW** Language and country selection added
- **Improved** Now possible to set the time zone
- **Improved** The assigned device name is uniformly displayed at different points in the Mesh
- **Improved** "FRITZ!Box Info" push service now includes "Home network" option
- **Improved** New menu symbols for "Overview" and "Smart Home"
- **Improved** Reset function in details of network devices for deleting all settings for this device
- **Improved** Function diagnostics extended in "Mesh", "DECT" and "Wireless"
- **Improved** "FRITZ!Box Info" push service now includes maximum number of events
- **Improved** Event log is extended with update information (visible only with the next update)
- **Improved** Update process optimized for automatic updates
- **Change** Menu sequence below "System" changed
- **Change** Default WAN port changed to WAN port (update leaves the setting as 5th LAN port unchanged)
- **Change** Waiting for the additional confirmation of a change is indicated by the flashing of all LEDs
## USB:
- **NEW** Support for current SMB versions (SMBv2/v3) <more [3]>
*) Note: Only available for FRITZ!DECT 301 with version 4.91 or higher, update will be installed automatically
**) Note: These functions are available after updating from FRITZ!OS 7.19 and the FRITZ!Fon devices to version 4.51.
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[1] Notes on the "WPA3" feature:
To use WPA3 in conjunction with Microsoft Windows 10, three components are required:
- the latest Windows 10 Build ("version 1903" or later)
- a compatible wireless device ("client")
- support for WPA3 for the respective wireless device (device driver support)
For the FRITZ!Box to automatically offer a WPA3 connection to corresponding wireless devices, the "WPA mode" on the "Wireless / Security" page must be set to "WPA2 + WPA3". A successful negotiation can be verified in FRITZ!Box on the "Wireless / Radio Network" page.
For older wireless devices or hardware there is unfortunately often no suitable driver available. This includes all AVM WLAN Sticks as well.
Support for WPA3 includes the latest generation from the "INTEL AX200" product series.
The Windows 10 Build 1903 can be installed manually via "Windows Update", if it was not already installed automatically.
WPA3-secured connections require you to activate "Protected Management Frames (PMF; 802.11w)". This also applies to parallel WPA2 connections in WPA mode "WPA2 + WPA3" ("transition mode").
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[2] Advanced Mesh steering:
FRITZ!OS always ensures the best connections between all wireless devices and between the FRITZ! products in the Mesh.
Wireless devices, e.g. smartphones, tablets or notebooks, are supported in making better decisions about where they will connect to.
In Mesh, FRITZ!OS actively intervenes with Mesh steering and steers wireless devices either between the 2.4 and 5 GHz wireless bands ("band steering") or between several FRITZ!Box products, for example from a FRITZ!Box to a FRITZ!Repeater (AP steering). The requirement for this is that the same name (SSID) is used for both radio bands for the wireless network (default setting) and the wireless device supports the steering.
With this Lab version, Mesh steering has been extended: it is now more active in improving the wireless LAN performance of the connected end devices.
Even with wireless devices that have a good connection, the system regularly checks whether even better wireless LAN performance is possible and reroutes the devices accordingly, e.g. if the device has been moved away from the FRITZ!Box or back again.
In addition, the robustness in handling wireless devices, which do not completely control the rerouting, has been improved.
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[3] Notes on migrating access to FRITZ!NAS content via the SMB protocol
Migration of SMB version, NTLMv1 not supported
With the current Lab, the SMB protocol used to access NAS releases will be migrated to version 3.
Please migrate those devices with which you want to access FRITZ!NAS via SMB to SMBv3.
If you are using devices that only support SMBv1, you can reactivate support for this version via the FRITZ!Box user interface under "Home Network / USB/Storage". (Please note, the use of SMBv1 is no longer recommended for security reasons).
The authentication procedure NTLMv1, which is obsolete, is no longer supported in the course of the migration.
Using SMBv3 on Windows, Mac and Linux computers
New installations of Windows 10 have been using SMBv3 and NTLMv2 ex works since the end of 2017.
After updating to the FRITZ! Lab, you can disable support for SMBv1 by choosing "Enable or disable Windows features / Support for SMB 1.0/CIFS file sharing".
Apple devices with MacOS Catalina (version 10.15 or later) also use SMBv3 ex works.
On Linux PCs, it may be necessary to manually configure the use of SMBv3/2.
To do this, add the following lines to the configuration file "etc/samba/smb.conf" in the "Global Settings" area
client min protocol = SMB2
client max protocol = SMB3
Network drives that have been set up can no longer be used after the update.
The migration in the access procedure may mean that existing network drives have to be set up again.
New system events
If access to FRITZ!NAS contents via SMB does not work after installing the FRITZ! Lab, you can get an indication of the reason in the system events of the FRITZ!Box: e.g. incorrect user name/password, user with missing NAS rights or access with a device that only supports SMBv1 or NTLMv1.
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[4] What is OWE (Opportunistic Wireless Encryption) ?
OWE is a technology that allows secure communication in "open" wireless LANs.
Up to now, "open" wireless networks in places like cafés, bars, restaurants, etc., were defined as being completely non-encrypted; this meant that no additional encryption on the wireless protocol level was used to establish connections or transport data. Although this is very convenient because connections are established quickly and easily, it also means that data is not sufficiently protected. Unauthorized parties can easily record or read user data. This can only be avoided if additional encryption such as https, VPN, TLS, etc., is used on higher protocol layers along the entire connection route.
With OWE, data transport ("payload") in such "open" connections over wireless LAN is now selectively encrypted by a software extension (WPA2/CCMP method). However, access data is still not required to establish the connection, which means that the high level of convenience of an "open" wireless network remains unchanged.
In FRITZ!OS 7.19 or later, OWE is accessible through an extension of the wireless guest access ("public WiFi hotspot"). The new feature can be enabled by selecting the option "Allow encrypted data transfer in a public hotspot (OWE)" on the page "Wireless / Guest Access". "Open/non-encrypted" can still be used alongside OWE-secured connections. The wireless device must also support OWE (for example devices with Android 10).
Wireless guest access connections that use OWE are displayed with a lock icon on the pages "Wireless / Radio Network" and "Home Network / Network".
OWE is part of the certification program from the "Wi-Fi Alliance" (WFA) under the name "Wi-Fi Certified Enhanced Open" and can already be used with the following devices, for example:
- Google Pixel 2 / 3 / 4 and possibly other devices with Android 10 (displayed in the menu as "Security: Enhanced Open" - OWE is a feature of Android 10)
- Samsung S10 (Android 9, displayed as "Open" in the menu)
- Xiami Mi A1 (Android 9)
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