If you have a Fritzbox, you can turn it into a network storage device that you can access securely from anywhere via the Internet, for example from your vacation spot. All you need is a USB drive and a few minutes of time.
Cloud services like Dropbox are a convenient way to back up photos, documents and other files and access them from anywhere at any time. But firstly, you are entrusting your data to a company whose servers are often not located in Europe, and secondly, you usually have to pay for sufficient storage. But you can save money if you have a Fritzbox at home, because it can be turned into a personal cloud in just a few steps.
Connect USB storage
First, you need to set up the router's network storage, or rather, expand it. This function is already available on current Fritzboxes. You can find it by clicking on Fritz!NAS NAS stands for Network Attached Storage, which in German means nothing other than network-connected storage. If the Fritzbox is running an operating system older than FritzOS 7.5, you may need to activate the advanced view, which you can do by clicking on the three dots in the top right.
Fritz!NAS already shows a memory, which is the internal memory of the Fritzbox. It is usually only a few gigabytes (GB) in size and only partially suitable as a NAS. Therefore, you connect a USB drive to one of the USB ports on the router. This can be a stick, an external SSD or a classic HDD hard drive. The common formats NTFS, exFAT, FAT/FAT32 or ext2/ext3/ext4 are accepted.
Fritz!NAS is already here
If the memory is connected to the Fritzbox, click on Home network and then on USB / Storage. The connected storage should be in the Device overview be visible. Then select the tab USB remote connection If there is a check mark next to USB remote connection active set, remove it and click on the bottom right Take overIf you have connected a fast storage device, activate the USB settings at the corresponding connection the Power Modeso that data can be transferred at USB 3.0 speed.
If you now go to Fritz!NASyou will find a folder with the name of the connected storage. You can now add files or create new folders on the storage via the interface. The corresponding symbols can be found at the top of the view. It is also possible to Choose To mark folders or files and then share them so that others can access them from the Internet. A link for this is created when you click on Share clicks.
Set up a MyFritz! account
This is what it looks like when the Fritzbox is registered with MyFritz!
(Photo: AVM)
In order for the Fritzbox to be accessible from the Internet, it must be registered with MyFritz!Net. If this is not yet the case, you must first create a MyFritz! account. To do this, click on Internet and then click MyFritz! account. There you enter an email address and click on Furtherwhereupon you will receive a confirmation email to the address. In it you click on Register your Fritz!Box and then on Set up a MyFritz! account. Then enter a password, confirm it and select to finish a process.
Now it is still under MyFritz! account to set up Internet access. To do this, click on Setting up MyFritz! Internet access and then on Setting up Fritz!Box usersNormally everything is done now, but you may still have to select or set up a user. Finally, click on Take over. If everything worked, a green dot lights up in front of Your Fritz!Box is registered with MyFritz!.
Enable network drive and FTP access
Finally, go to the left menu of the Fritzbox user interface under Home network on USB / Storage and scroll down. There you first activate Home network sharing the Access via a network drive (SMB)which allows the Fritzbox NAS to be displayed in Explorer on Windows and in Finder on Macs.
To access the network storage remotely via the Internet, you then check the box Access via FTP active and click on Take overHere you will also be informed that a user with authorization must be set up for access via a network drive or FTP.
Set up users for remote access
To do this, click on the link shown or go to system to Fritz!Box usersThere you add a new user or click on the pencil symbol for an existing user. After you have entered a name, email address and password, you activate the permissions further down.
It is important to tick ZAccess from the Internet allowed and of course at Access to NAS content There you can also specify whether a user only has access to certain directories and whether he can only read files or also write them, i.e. change or add them. Then click on Take over.
Access via Explorer or Finder
This is how an integrated Fritzbox is displayed in Windows Explorer.
(Photo: kwe)
If you haven’t already done so, enter the Fritzbox under Home network – Fritz!Box name an individual name to make it easier to find. Among other things, it is displayed under Windows with this name in the File Explorer under network After clicking on it, enter your username and password and check the box Save login detailsYou can then access all previously shared folders via Windows Explorer.
On a Mac computer, the Fritzbox can also be found under network. You click on them and then enter Connect as … Enter your username and password and check Save password in keychain.
Remote access via browser or app
To access your own Fritzbox cloud while on the move, open the Internet browser and go to the MyFritz!Net page (myfritz.net). There you enter your MyFritz! email address and the associated password and log in. You will then see your Fritzbox and click on its name. You then have to log in again, this time with your user name and password. You will then have access to the NAS and other Fritzbox functions.
Alternatively, you can use the MyFritz! app on a smartphone or tablet, which makes it particularly easy. Because once you have logged in to your home Wi-Fi network, you don't have to do it again on your mobile internet. Unfortunately, what is still missing is the option to automatically upload smartphone pictures, but this function may be available in a future update.
