Moca adapters work, if you can get them at a decent price. Not heard of the particular actiontec model you mentioned, but they do have others, with ECB2200V being the one usually mentioned for Verizon users. Another choice might be Powerline adapters.
The ECB2200 MoCA will work fine. You just need to connect it properly. Use a splitter and connect one side to the original STB connection and the other to the MoCA adapter. Leave the coax "output" of the MoCA adapter unused -- this is where you have problems if you try to connect devices such a the STB "thru" the MoCA output interface.
Also, if you want to investigate your powerline adapter issues ... be aware the most homes have 240V service and thus have a three-phase service with an "A" and "B" side of service for the 120V circuits. In short, outlets on circuit breakers on the "A" phase won't be able to communicate with outlets on the "B" phase for powerline networking purposes. Start by picking two outlets that are on the same circuit breaker and see if the powerline setup works -- then once you get it working, try moving one of the adapters to various outlets around the home to see where all it will work. Also, be aware that many powerline adapters will not work when plugged into a surge suppressor or UPS (you must plug them directly into the outlet) -- this is because these devices "clean" up the electrical signal coming from the power company and in the process interfere with the "noise" which powerline networking essentially creates on the powerline to communicate with one another.
I also use the ECB2200 with no problems. I use it with an 8 port switch in my entertainment center to provide internet to several devices.
Thanks for these replies. Any guidance on what sort of splitter I'd need to buy in addition to the adapter, and how much that would cost? I'm reluctant to spend more than half as much as the Blu-ray itself just so the Blu-ray will do what I'd hoped it would do on its own (i.e., stream movies wirelessly).
I wonder if I should consider bypassing the Blu-ray altogether and get a Roku instead to pull in Netflix downloads. (It's about the same price as the MoCA adapter.) Anyone know if it has a better wireless receiver than most Blu-rays?
A standard splitter from any big box home improvement store will do as long as it's rated for digital system (5-1000Mhz). It'll cost you less than $5. They are quite common.
The MoCA adapter will run about $80. You need just one as the router itself has a built-in adapter which peers with the unit you purchase automatically.
A Roku or any similar device will suffer from the same wireless streaming issues you presently experience. The issue is the wireless -- which is not ideal for streaming content unless you can have a receiver and transmitter pair that are using Wireless-N 5.0ghz radios (most wireless N is 2.4ghz and still suffer the same speed impairments as wireless G since they use the same crowded frequencies). Go with the adapter.
P.S. An electrical engineer on the boards here recently corrected my terminology on the powerline related posted. Most homes are not "three phase" but are instead "three wire single phase with a midpoint neutral" with two legs each at 120v that are 180 degress out of phase with one another . Either way -- the devices on opposite legs can't see one another for the purposes of powerline networking. So, thanks for that!
Will a splitter like this work for me if I decide to go with the adapter? http://ow.ly/d88Us
Roku says its product is "n" rated, and the same is apparently true of my FiOS/Actiontec router. So maybe that option will pull in a better signal than my Blu-ray. All I need is a consistent 4-5 Mpbs. (A laptop running Windows 7 sitting right next to the Blu-ray gets 15.)
Yes, that spliter will work just fine.
As for the Roku and wireless thruput, most of the ActionTec's are not wireless-N (the newer ones are) and even the newer ones are not dual-band. The Roku (at least the one I have) while it runs wireless-N, uses the 2.4ghz band and not the 5.0ghz band. The 2.4ghz band is the same channel space that wireless-G uses and is often subject to interference from neighbor's systems, etc. The throughput is really a roll of the dice.
In short, I don't use wireless for streaming content. I have a small switch in my entertainment center to which every system that needs connectivity is connected and then that switch is connected to the router thru a direct connection (I happen to have a direct ethernet run, but I also use a MoCA adapter in my home to connect all my devices on my second floor which I can't reach with a direct ethernet cable run and it provides ample thruput).
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