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USB storage access is slow

Data transmission between a computer and a USB hard drive or USB memory stick connected to the FRITZ!Box is slower than stipulated in the USB specifications.


1 Enabling USB 3.0 mode

The following step is only necessary if you are using a USB 3.0 storage device:

  3. Click on the "USB Settings" tab.
  4. Enable the option "Power Mode USB 3.0" for the USB port being used.
  5. Click "Apply" to save the settings.

    Important:If the FRITZ!Box no longer detects the USB storage device when "Power Mode USB 3.0" is enabled, then your USB storage device does not correctly identify itself as a USB 3.0 device. In this case, re-enable the option "Green Mode USB 2.0".

2 Using a USB 3.0 cable

The following step is only necessary if you used a USB cable to connect the USB 3.0 storage device to the FRITZ!Box:

  1. Use a USB 3.0 ("super speed") cable to connect the USB storage device to the FRITZ!Box. If you use a different type of USB cable, the storage device cannot be integrated as a USB 3.0 device.

3 Throughput lower due to functional principle

In the case of integrated systems such as the FRITZ!Box, the highest possible throughput when accessing a USB storage device is lower than with Windows computers, for example. This is due to its architecture and is influenced by the

  • software or communication protocols (SMB, FTP, USB remote connection) being used.

    Note:NTFS is a file system from Microsoft that was developed specifically for use with Windows operating systems. The implementation of NTFS support by the Linux-based FRITZ!OS is technically sophisticated, which means that access via NTFS is slower than with other file systems.

  • use of encryption techniques (FTPS, FTP over SSL/TLS).
  • transmission medium (Wi-Fi, LAN) used.
  • FRITZ!Box functions currently in use and the FRITZ!OS used.

Depending on these factors, throughput rates of up to 110 MB/s (900 Mbit/s) are possible. However, the write speed is normally significantly slower than the read speed.

If possible, we will include optimizations in future FRITZ!OS versions to increase the throughput.