Conclusion:

I am quite surprised by Actiontec’s decisions on this kit. To me it seems like they came so close to making a great device for just about every use you could think of, but it falls just short due to the use of 10/100 Ethernet ports. I realize that the advertised 500Mbps is not attainable in the real world even with a Gigabit port, but similar devices can get over 200Mbps. I am also somewhat surprised the wireless is only 2.4GHz and isn’t dual band like the Actiontec WCB3000NK01 MOCA unit recently tested. Again, to be fair, while the box does heavily promote 500Mbps and 300Mbps transfer speeds, they do state in small print on the bottom that the lab testing showed a max of 93.8Mbps.



I think this decision to use slower Ethernet ports is especially troublesome for the base unit. One of the great things about the powerline kits is you can make them grow as your needs grow. Even if they only upgraded the PWR500 to a gigabit port, you would be able to add more remote devices without choking the network from the start.



Now these limitations aren’t show stoppers, the device actually works quite well. But I think it is best suited to those who aren’t planning on multiple HD streams. Depending on your homes wiring and how you connect your remote devices will determine how many streams it could handle. Based on my configuration I would not expect more than 3 concurrent devices to work well. For many this may be enough and for the price it isn’t worth the effort of crawling through your attic to run wires.

Speaking of price, following the link to Amazon.com shows that this kit sells for about $90 (US). While there are plenty of "500Mbps" powerline adapter kits available for less money, keep in mind that they probably don't offer multiple wired ports at the remote end, and most likely do not have a wireless N access point at the remote end. These features definitely add to the appeal of the PWR51WK01, and make it a much more valuable device.

In the end, the Actiontec PWR51WK01 powerline adapter kit earns the Bigbruin.com "Great Idea" and "Good Value awards for packing some welcome extra features in to a powerline adapter kit for a fairly reasonable price.



Pros:

» Truly is plug and play installation.
» System is expandable.
» Stable connection.
» Out of the box the wireless is encrypted.
» Wireless is easy to configure if you go to the FAQ.

Cons:

» Documentation is very weak.
» May not be the best option for those who expect to support multiple HD streams.
» Would prefer more transparency on speeds advertised.

Please drop by the Bigbruin.com Forum and feel free to post any comments or questions.