Actiontec WCB3000N01 Single Dual-Band Wireless Network Extender and Ethernet Over Coax Adapter (WCB3000N)

This is the review I wrote for the companion adapter, ECB2500C, that includes my experience with this device. You'll need something like the ECB2500C to create the MoCA network, acting as a bridge to your cable modem or router. Though the description mentions this is made for Verizon FIOS, it should work with just about any network of coax cables in the home or business. Mine works fine on an Xfinity (Comcast) provider system. The only possible issue is that these are precoded to look for firmware updates on a now-defunct Verizon server. If you're concerned that something might happen in the future with Verizon sending out updates that will make your adapter incompatible with your system, simply delete the server info from the setup, and turn off auto-update. I purchased my grandparent's estate, a couple of years back, and wiring the old stone and concrete house for ethernet has been a challenge in some areas. Since it's stone and concrete, wifi is a bit of an issue, too. And, while some of the house's power wiring is new, much of it's old, meaning parts of the wiring doesn't work well with Homewire based networking. Which means I've got a fairly eclectic setup in place to get network connectivity where it's needed, consisting of a blend of ethernet, Homewire, WiFi, and now, MoCA. The ethernet/Homewire/WiFi setup was working fine, until I took advantage of a Black Friday sale TiVo had on a new, lifetime service Bolt. It came with a Mini. Great! Except, the Mini doesn't work with WiFi, and the bedroom where I wanted to put the Mini was one of the areas that Homewire barely works in. Running ethernet to that room was going to be way more trouble than it was worth, so I added MoCA to the mix. Comcast had wired all the bedrooms over the years, so the coax was there, and in good condition. Plus, the Mini has built-in MoCA, making the addition a no-brainer. Setup was incredibly simple. I set it on top of the new Bolt, removed the coax from the Bolt, connected that feed to the this adapter, grabbed a 1.5 foot hunk of coax, and looped out of this adapter back into the Bolt, then plugged the power adapter in. Total time? Maybe 2 minutes. I made my way from the basement man-cave to the bedroom where the Mini was going to be placed, connected the coax feed in there into the back of the Mini, plugged it into power, connected the HDMI cable to the TV, and went through the few minutes of setup for the Mini. Done! It took longer to figure out the right program code for the TiVo remote to operate the TV than to set up the devices and have a solid, reasonably fast MoCA network in place. My granddaughters' bedroom was another area of weak wifi without simple solution. Since they had cable TV in their room, I added one of the companion devices from Actiontec, the WCB3000N. Now they, and that corner of the house, have solid WiFi. It also provided two ethernet ports, providing additional connectivity options. Connection of the WCB3000N did require a splitter, but it comes with one in the box, as well as a short coax cable. Connecting it up was straightforward and simple, and took just a few minutes. Renaming WiFi connections, changing passwords, etc., was a snap, too. Overall, I'd highly recommend this, and the WCB3000N. They're worth every penny.

Brand New no issues, works great, fast delivery! Ordered FIOS two days ago. I wanted to put my router (bought my own FIOS Quantum 1100) where my TV and computer is currently (had comcast before) well my apt had different locations for ethernet then for cable. If I wanted to use the cable connection by the TV it required a network extender that uses coax by the TV and the router in the drop for my apt which was in my closet. My building is pre-wired comcast & verizon. So the router got stuck in the closet and had the verizon WCB6200Q which is the same as this item - being a network extender. So it uses "MOCA" to utilize existing coax so you can direct connect for full ethernet connect speed vs. wireles using existing coax. It also adds wireless and full speed to a location away from the router without loss of speed. Anyway, I got this. It was brand new. Plastic sticker still on the front, original sealed box. It was the easiest set up. I literally unplugged the one verizon was going to charge me $6 a month for, plugged this right in, ran speed check on my internet for both a wired TV, a computer and checked wireless speed. All good to go in under 5 minutes. No settings to adjust, no changes, worked right out of the box - 1 power cord, two ethernet plugs (tv, Computer directly) and the coax cable that is connected to the router, wireless from this extender and the router (share SSID) - I think. Done! Excellent!!! I see no difference in my speed from the one I returned to verizon $100 new or $6 a month. Here are some caveats to consider. I did have MOCA configured settings and/or router during installation. It is possible you may require additional equip ment for your install to create the MOCA connection at the other end by the router. I bought my own FIOS Quantum Gateway router cheaply. Both pieces working great and saved myself a lot. WCB6200Q vs. this WCB3000N I seen no loss/change in speed. Big price difference on cost. 100-150 vs. 15-30 or rental at $6 a month for just the network extender. Add router++ Anyway, worked great for me. Hope it works great for you! I do not know if there is an internet speed limit on this item vs. the other verizon had installed. My speeds are around 100mbps. I am posting because I wasn't sure when I bought it if this is limited to a certain speed or not for the hard wired connections. I read different things of which I now know some were wrong. Check the specs for you speed. I can only say it works at around 100mbps no problem and no wireless speed loss (around 30-32mbps).

Note: This is NOT a cable modem. This is NOT a wireless router. You do NOT activate it with your cable carrier. This is an access point that creates an extension of your existing wireless network (generally speaking), and it requires a wired network to backhaul the signal. See more below. For what it's worth, mine did not come with the quick start guide, not a splitter, not an ethernet cable. However, I didn't need them, and the instructions (not that you need them!) are on the manufacturer web site. Four out of five stars for missing pieces. Overall, this is an incredible value for $11-13 or whatever it costs when you read this. This unit can bridge ethernet to WiFi, MoCA to WiFi, and ethernet to MoCA creating your MoCA network if you don't have one. You plug it in and it just works. It has default SSIDs, which you can change to match your home network, and you can keep both radios on the same SSID, unlike some other platforms that force to you separate them. You must have coax or ethernet to backhaul the signal to your router. Also, this is listed as a Time Warner specific product, but that is irrelevant if you are just using it within your home network. Doesn't matter if you have Cox or anyone else, as long as you don't expect it to call home to your cable company. Also won't work on the same coax as satellite because of interference created by the frequencies used by satellite vendors--so says the documentation. I can't believe the value. It may only be 802.11n and MoCA 1.1, but with that you can create your own MoCA network, even disabling the radios if you don't need them and just want MoCA. The radios on this unit have been super solid for me. It's also 2x2 MIMO, so you get decent performance. **UPDATE** I just purchased a second one of these to have on hand, for my parents, or whatever. Can't beat $11. This one I purchased from a different seller on Amazon, and it also didn't have a splitter, ethernet cable, or quick start guide. I think the product description is just wrong. I reported it to Amazon, but it wouldn't hurt for other folks to do so.

UPDATE: Spoke to an Actiontec support person who is actually in the USA and he was able to shed some light on the situation. Even though the vendor listed above is "ActionTec" he said they DO NOT sell though Amazon directly. He also said that the model I have is one custom made for Time Warner Cable and that it is LOCKED with TWC firmware 0.16.8.6 and cannot be flashed, so I must return it to Amazon. Bad news for anyone who wants a device that isn't interested in a crippled TWC hand-me-down. He said I should try to order it again, but specifically ask for a model that is running the correct firmware 0.16.4.3. How does someone even do that? Basically, if you order this device, expect something whose firmware is either locked down to TWC or so old that it doesn't protect you against KRACK or WPA2 vunerabilities. Not a good deal at all. ------------------- Original Review: I bought this as alternative to the ECB2500C which is only 10/100 Ethernet and only has one Ethernet port instead of two. I needed to get Ethernet connectivity to a remote room in the house that has FiOS coax already installed. Since the WCB3000N and the ECB2500C are priced about the same, I figured I'd get the this and get the a speed bump from the gigabit Ethernet ports (175Mbps rather than 100Mbps) and an extra Ethernet port. I would just turn off the 2.4GHz a nd 5GHz radios to avoid the dangerous WPS and KRACK vulnerabilities of this old device. For some reason in Firmware 0.16.8.6 (which shipped with this device), they've removed the ability to turn off any Wi-Fi radios. WHY??? Also, the WPS keeps turning itself back ON even after repeatedly disabling it from the device's settings. Again...WHY??? I don't need this thing competing with my existing 2.4Ghz and 5Ghz frequencies and creating security vulnerabilities. I already have high end Wi-Fi access points in my house taking care of wireless needs and security. I just need a wired coax-to-Ethernet adapter and this was a better value than the ECB2500C (if it functioned correctly). I called Actiontec tech support. The person was reading from a script and had no idea what to do. After leaving and coming back several imes to find the right script to read, she said the toggle for turning off the wifi radios was under "Basic Setup". I pointed out that it was removed in my firmware version for some reason. I thought maybe my firmware was outdated, so I asked her what the newest firmware was. She left for a while, came back and said that the it was 0.16.4.3. My device was on 0.16.8.6 (which is obviously newer). She couldn't explain that. I asked if I could download 0.16.4.3 anywhere and she refused (or couldn't tell me). I've been searching online for hours and firmware (and most support) for this thing has been removed the Actiontec website and not available anywhere else either. I'm very disappointed. Such a dumb move taking out the Radio on/off toggle for the Wi-Fi radios. I went through every setting and it hasn't been moved, it's just missing now. This thing is going back to Amazon. A total waste of time.

I have been a Prime member for over two years. This is the first review I have ever written. I love this device so much I just figured I would share. Basically I was getting really tired of everyone in the house complaining about the wifi. I have tried Powerline adapters and WiFi extenders. Both of these items do work, but the speeds are from what I wanted. So I purchased one of these unit's. You will also need to purchase a Actiontec MoCA adapter ECB2500CK01 unless you have a MoCA capable Modem/Router. I have a MoCA capable Modem/Router made by Motorola, but for some reason I could not get them to pair up, so I purchased the adapter. You can get both on Amazon Prime together for $149.99. Setup is pretty much plug and play. I was a little confused at first because I couldn't find the Actiontec network that is listed on the back of the unit. So I called Actiontec support. What actually happened is this unit used the same network I already had and just extended it and created its own 5G network. The speeds are awesome!!! I pay for 50 Mbps. On the 2.4 network I am getting anywhere from 25-40 Mbps. On the 5G network I get 50Mbps +. I was so amazed by this unit I ordered another one. Just got it in today. I have one placed down stairs in my kitchen at one end of the house and one upstairs in a room at the other end of the house. I have a 3000 Sq foot house. I walked around all over in and outside my house performing speed tests from a speedtest.net app on my IPhone. I have a full signal/top speed possible on both 2.4 and 5G where ever I would need it. This really isn't that big of a deal but for some reason the second unit uses its own network and isn't an extension of my original network like the first one I installed. I did call Actiontec about the issue and the support rep said I can go into the settings and merge it into the network. I haven't tried it yet. I would like it to merge, but if it doesn't not a big deal to me. I just love the performance I am getting. Next week I switching from cable to fiber. New provider said that the network is MoCA capable. Can't Wait!!! A few more things you may need to buy that really are not that expensive is a filter for the point of entry (PoE) to your house and a 5-1675 MoCA splitter. I am using the original splitter 5-1000 with no issues but I have a new one on order. From what I have read is the filter is pretty much mando. It's only $13 on Amazon.

We had a very weak WiFi signal in part of our house, likely caused by an 18 inch thick granite wall between that area and our router. We tried a couple of WiFi repeaters without success. If we put them on the router side of that wall they still couldn't penetrate it, and if we placed them on the other side the incoming signal was to wreak to transmit. So we ordered this extender since we have MOCA active through our coaxial cable running throughout the house. We used the splitter, added a length of coaxial cable (it came with one but needed two) then connected the power adapter. Within a few minutes we had a nice, strong WiFi signal in an area where we had always struggled to maintain even a weak signal. Unfortunately the range extender did not "clone" the router as some reviewers apparently experienced (it appeared on our network as a second router), so we had to jump through some hoops to match the ssid and passwords of the router and extender. The first recommendation of the manufacturer, WPS, didn't work, despite repeated attempts. On a couple such attempts the extender's settings appeared briefly to match those of the router, only to revert back to being different a few seconds later. The second manufacturer's recommendation (by the way, there are NO instructions whatsoever in the box) was to connect to the extender using a computer and Ethernet cable (we had to use an old laptop as our newer computers lack Ethernet ports) but we initially couldn't access the browser based GUI for the extender, so we had to resort to the third and final method suggested by the manufacturer, that being to access the router itself through its GUI, determining the IP address assigned by the router to the extender, then accessing the extender's GUI to change the ssid and passwords of the 2 signals of the extender (2.4 & 5 GHz) to match those of the router. Once we did that, and saved the changes, we were in business! Now we have a consistently strong signal in that formerly spotty area, with the network name and password being consistent between the router and extender. It didn't take 10 minutes, but more like an hour, but the results were well worth the cost of the extender and the time it took to adjust the settings. I would say that if you don't have any tech experience setting up this extender could be a bit daunting. It doesn't require an IT expert, but we did have to access our routers's settings, use some information found there to access the extender's interface, and then tweak some settings on the extender to get it to where we needed it. So if you are strictly a plug-and-play person this may not provide the desired results, especially if your goal is to have the identical network name and password on both router and extender. But if you are patient, and not intimidated by a little tinkering with the WiFi settings, this could be the answer to spotty WiFi coverage as it was for us. Our bottom line is that we recommend this unit for those with MOCA enabled on their cable and who are prepared to delve into some settings on their network. We are very pleased with the results obtained. No more watching the circle spin on the screen while our computers struggle for a signal or choppy music and video on our streaming services!

Edit 7/16/18: Dropping some stars on this product. The WiFi on this is ridiculously unreliable, causing wireless devices to lose their connection through the MoCA bridge.. Signal will be strong, but traffic stops flowing through the bridge back to the network. As a MoCA 1.1 bridge for Ethernet devices however, it Is solid, and probably the cheapest way to add additional MoCA nodes to my network for use with Ethernet. The two Ethernet ports are helpful - I have one going to a TiVO Mini Vox and the other now goes to a Netgear 750AC access point once I followed instructions in these reviews on disabling the built in wireless radios on this. ———- Original: For $14, no complaints at all. Extended my existing MoCA 1.1 network outside to our gazebo where we have coax for TV but no Ethernet. Fed a TiVo Mini Vox on one of the Ethernet ports, and finally have some very good WiFi coverage for our backyard. For those giving one star because it lacked an Ethernet cable and coax splitter — is that really a big deal? These are things most homes these days have spares of all over the house. The MoCA bridge and dual band WiFi more than make up for it. I’m in IT so configuration on my existing network was very easy. If you don’t know exactly what this does — I.e you’ve never heard of MoCA before and don’t have a most basic understanding of how to configure something similar to your home router, you’re probably going to be disappointed. For me - it was exactly what I needed and at a super super cheap price.

EDIT after a few weeks of use: As noted below, the installation went fine, as I had the missing cables and connectors. But long-term performance has been mediocre. From time to time, maybe once a week, my entire WiFi system gets jammed up and dysfunctional, forcing me to reset everything. This only happens with the Actiontec is plugged in. I am reminded of the early days of home WiFi, when frequent resets were a fact of life. I'm reducing my score to 3 stars. Maybe 2 stars is more appropriate, but I'll give them a break, given the very low cost. OLD REVIEW: As others have described, the setup is remarkably easy. Plug it in, query your router to find the IP address, log in (admin, admin), CHANGE THE DEVICE PASSWORD, and set the SSIDs and WPA2 settings to match those of your main network. I am getting a great signal in parts of my house that were absolutely dead 5 minutes ago. Like others, I may have received a device that fell off the truck. No coax cable, no ethernet cable, no splitter in the box. On the other hand, it works great and I saved $90 compared with Verizon's extender.