AVM has launched a brand new FRITZ! Lab beta for the FRITZ!Field 5690 Professional that provides Matter assist forward of the official FRITZ!OS 8.50 launch. That is the primary FRITZ!Field mannequin to achieve Matter bridge performance instantly by means of the router itself, relatively than requiring a separate FRITZ!Sensible Gateway.
I reviewed the FRITZ!Field 5690 Professional again in August 2025 and flagged the shortage of native Matter assist as one in every of its extra notable shortcomings. AVM had stated Matter assist was coming for a while earlier than that evaluation went reside, so it’s good to see the function lastly arriving, even when it’s only in beta kind for now.
What the FRITZ! Lab Beta Provides
The FRITZ! Lab is AVM’s beta channel, the place new options are examined on actual {hardware} earlier than they attain a full FRITZ!OS launch. Anybody who needs early entry can obtain the beta instantly from fritz.com and set up it on a supported router.
For the FRITZ!Field 5690 Professional, this explicit Lab construct brings three issues: Matter bridge assist, permitting FRITZ! Sensible House units to be uncovered to different Matter controllers; configurable DNS filters, which have been beforehand solely obtainable within the FRITZ! Lab construct for the FRITZ!Field 7690; and computerized prioritisation, additionally carried over from the 7690 Lab construct.
These DNS filtering and prioritisation options usually are not new to the FRITZ! platform as an entire, however that is the primary time they’ve been made obtainable for the 5690 Professional particularly.
How the Matter Bridge Works
With this replace, the FRITZ!Field 5690 Professional joins the FRITZ!Sensible Gateway as a solution to convey FRITZ! Sensible House units right into a Matter community. Any FRITZ! system registered with the router, such because the FRITZ!Sensible Thermo 302 radiator valve, together with suitable third celebration sensible residence units already paired with the field, may be made seen to Matter controllers from different ecosystems.
In follow, this implies units related to a FRITZ!Field can now be managed by means of Apple House, Google House or Amazon Alexa, alongside the prevailing FRITZ!App Sensible House and any automations already arrange on the router. The router doesn’t cease being the first hub. It merely provides Matter as a further manner of speaking to these different platforms.
What Matter Truly Does
Matter is an open sensible residence normal developed by the Connectivity Requirements Alliance, designed to let units from completely different producers work with a single controller no matter model. It has three essential elements: a controller, usually constructed into a wise speaker reminiscent of an Amazon Echo; the sensible residence units themselves; and a bridge for units that use a wi-fi normal Matter doesn’t discuss to instantly, reminiscent of Zigbee or DECT ULE.
This final level is the place the FRITZ!Field 5690 Professional is available in. Since FRITZ! Sensible House units talk over DECT ULE, HAN-FUN or Zigbee relatively than Matter’s native protocols, the router has to behave as a bridge to translate between the 2. AVM already supplied this bridging operate by means of the standalone FRITZ!Sensible Gateway. The FRITZ! Lab replace extends the identical functionality to the 5690 Professional itself, so a separate gateway is not required for households whose sensible residence units already sit on the router.
One benefit of Matter price noting is that it runs regionally over the house community relatively than by means of the cloud, so controlling units doesn’t rely upon a producer’s personal servers being on-line. An web connection remains to be wanted if you wish to use voice management by means of Alexa, Siri or Google Assistant, since that a part of the method runs by means of the related voice platform.
Setting It Up
AVM has revealed separate guides for connecting the FRITZ!Field 5690 Professional to a Matter community by means of every of the three main platforms: the Amazon Alexa app, the Apple House app and the Google House app. The method in every case includes including the FRITZ!Field as a Matter bridge throughout the respective platform’s app, after which any FRITZ! Sensible House units already registered with the field turn out to be obtainable to regulate there.
Full directions for every platform, together with a normal explainer on how Matter and the FRITZ! ecosystem match collectively, can be found on the Matter with FRITZ! web page on fritz.com.
Availability
The FRITZ! Lab beta for the FRITZ!Field 5690 Professional is out there now as a free obtain from fritz.com. As with every beta firmware, it’s price backing up your router configuration earlier than putting in it, since Lab builds are pre-release software program and haven’t been by means of the identical testing as a full FRITZ!OS launch.
The FRITZ!Field 5690 Professional itself will not be formally bought within the UK. It usually sells for round 300 euros by means of Amazon.de, whereas UK retailers and Amazon UK checklist it at between roughly £340 and £370, relying on inventory and import prices on the time. Matter assist arriving by means of the FRITZ! Lab doesn’t change that pricing, however it does shut a spot I highlighted in my unique evaluation, the place the 5690 Professional’s lack of Matter assist was one of many few notable weaknesses in contrast with rivals already providing it.
The complete Matter bridge performance is anticipated to roll out extra extensively as soon as it graduates from FRITZ! Lab to a secure FRITZ!OS 8.50 launch.
I’m James, a UK-based tech fanatic and the Editor and Proprietor of Mighty Gadget, which I’ve proudly run since 2007. Enthusiastic about all issues expertise, my experience spans from computer systems and networking to cell, wearables, and sensible residence units.
As a health fanatic who loves working and biking, I even have a eager curiosity in fitness-related expertise, and I take each alternative to cowl this area of interest on my weblog. My numerous pursuits permit me to convey a singular perspective to tech running a blog, merging way of life, health, and the newest tech traits.
In my educational pursuits, I earned a BSc in Data Methods Design from UCLAN, earlier than advancing my studying with a Grasp’s Diploma in Computing.
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