Zoom 5350 Wireless Cable Modem Product Details
The Zoom 5350 combines a DOCSIS 3.0 Cable Modem, a Wireless-N Router, and a four-port 1000/100/10 Mbps Ethernet Switch. The Model 5350 is approved by CableLabs for use on all cable systems in the US, including DOCSIS 3.0, 2.0 and 1.1 services. The Model 5350 has also received additional testing and approval from Comcast, Cox, time Warner Cable, CableOne and other cable service operators.
Reviewer 2 –
My modem started dropping internet connectivity. I work in the IT field, (sometimes from home).
I was using a 6″ fan blowing on the router, Yesterday, after dropping connection 3 times, I took the left cover off, and I am running it without the cover (plus the fan). There’s that last 5point-star screw under one of the little rubber foot pads, I got mine apart without breaking it.
Original review:
I had 3 components connected for networking, the Cable Modem, the Wireless Router, and my VONAGE transformer. This brought it down to 2. I still needed the Vonage converter in addition to the router, if this could have done all 3 functions, I would have been thrilled. Reviews on a device that served all three functions SUCKED, so I got this guy.
I’ve been using this for several months. So far, I haven’t had to do any reboots of this router. Was running a windows 7 pc as internet connection for netflix, etc where my router was upstairs, and the PC downstairs. Now I’m using a western digital WD TV box, and it’s working fine. Oh yeah, I bought a mini fan to cool off the router and vonage box on hot days, per recommendation of a friend.
Brian P –
As others have commented, the Zoom 5350 has a good modem and a poor router. I bought it refurbished from Zoom for only $53, thinking that if the router didn’t perform well, I’d turn off the Zoom’s wireless and connect a separate router. That’s exactly what happened after only getting 20-30Mbps down and 5Mbps up on the Zoom, significantly less than Comcast/Xfinity’s Technicolor gateway that delivers twice the speed. (I have Comcast Blast 105Mbps service.) Surprisingly, using a direct connection via ethernet between the Zoom and my laptop, the unit downloaded data FASTER than the Comcast Technicolor gateway. Up to 105Mbps. Upload speeds were in the 10-12Mbps range. Despite the acceptable wired performance, though, When I called Zoom technical support, an uncaring tech rep told me I was lucky to get even 15Mbps down speed due to the Zoom’s dated chipset. (He recommended a more expensive Zoom device. )I recommend you purchase another modem/router. While the Zoom was in transit, I found out from T-Mobile, my wireless carrier, about the T-Mobile Personal CellSpot, a free rental by T-Mobile as long you have the carrier’s service. This router is actually an Asus AC-68U, a dual-band (2.4Mhz/5Mhz) device with top Wi-Fi speeds of 1900Mhps. It’s highly rated by PC Magazine and elsewhere. After connecting, the CellSpot to the Asus modem, my wireless download speeds increased to 50-60Mhps on the laptop and an unbelievable 145Mbps on my iPhone. You can also make Wi-Fi phone calls on your T-Mobile mobile phone. It’s a no-brainer, then, if you’re a T-Mobile customer. Buy a decent modem and have T-Mobile ship you the CellSpot. If you don’t have T-Mobile, consider buying a highly-rated cable/dsl modem and the TP-Link TL-WR841N router for $20 or less online. The TP-Link lacks 802.11ac and dual-band. Top download speed is 300Mbps, half of the T-Mobile CellSpot base speed but has top reviews in the major computer magazines. Before getting my CellSpot, I bought one online for $19 (free shipping). It’s still in shrink wrap; so I haven’t tested it. But I’m keeping it just in case I switch carriers and need a powerful router.Bottom-line. I don’t recommend the Zoom 5350 modem/router because of its dated chipset and poor wireless performance. Either buy a separate modem and router or pay more for a combo that performs well. Read Amazon reader surveys and check out the online computer/network sites.
Jason –
I have Comcast in downtown Seattle, and the speeds are fine for streaming Netflix — full HD quality almost all the time. Very few network drops (maybe 3 or 4 per year — which are annoying, but it could be worse). The bad part is the wifi connection. If you use wifi by itself, say on a gaming console when the wired connection is not being used, it works fine and is quick. But, if you attempt to use your laptop or mobile phone via wifi while the wired network is being used (e.g. Netflix), the connectivity basically drops to zero. You will get a few Facebook posts and maybe a single image if you’re lucky. Instagram images show up perhaps 33% of the time. Loading webpages is a thing of dreams.