Learn more about what happens on our end after you sign up for GFiber.
When you sign up for one of our internet plans and your home has never had GFiber before, we’ll ask you to schedule a professional installation appointment. Before GFiber internet can be installed in your home, we need to perform what we call a “fiber drop.” We’ll run fiber optic cable from the street to your home and attach a small box called a Network Interface Unit (NIU) to an outside wall. The NIU connects our network to your home). When this is done, you'll be ready to have GFiber installed inside your home.
In this article, you’ll find more details about what you can expect during this stage of the installation process. Visit this article to learn how we bring GFiber to your home.
1. We’ll install an NIU on the outside of your home
To prepare for your installation appointment, our technicians bring fiber cables from our existing network to the side of each home that has signed up for GFiber service. (You don’t need a separate appointment for this work by the way. We do this in advance.)
When we arrive to perform this “fiber drop,” we’ll knock on your door or ring your doorbell to let you know that we’re working on your property. If you aren’t home, we will still perform a fiber drop and install the NIU.
Next, our technicians will attach an NIU to the outside of your house, typically on the side next to your existing utilities. The NIU is roughly 6-7 inches tall by 7-8 inches wide, and 2 inches deep.
If there are utility poles near your home, our technicians usually follow the existing electrical drop path and bring fiber optic internet from the pole to the NIU. If existing utilities are underground on your property, they’ll usually bury the fiber cable underground by digging a trench through your yard from our existing network to the NIU.
Please note that in some cases, an NIU may already be installed on the side of your home. If your residence already has an NIU installed, we’ll skip the step above.
2. We’ll install GFiber inside your home (if you selected a professional installation)
Next comes the installation inside your home. If you selected a professional installation when you signed up, you will have chosen an installation appointment day and time. In addition to an email confirmation and text reminders, your technician will also give you a call within 24 hours of your installation appointment start time. You’ll also receive a link to track your technician’s location once they’re on their way. Please make sure that an adult (age 18 or older) will be home for the entirety of your in-home installation.
Once the technician arrives, he or she will start by installing a Fiber Jack inside your building. The Fiber Jack is a small device where GFiber’s fiber optic signal comes through the NIU and into your home). Next, your technician will install any other devices that come with your GFiber service plan (like phone equipment or Mesh Extenders), show you how to use them, and make sure everything is working smoothly. Our technicians follow a signature Quality of Experience checklist and conduct extensive validation to make sure your network is configured and performing at its best.
As soon as your installation is complete, you can start enjoying GFiber!
You can learn more about how to prepare for your in-home installation here.
3. No professional installation? You can install GFiber inside your home yourself (if you selected to self-install)
If you live in a home that previously had GFiber service and you're eligible for self-install, you can choose to either pick up your self install kit at a GFiber Space or have us mail one to you when you sign up.
If it’s your first time installing your own internet, no worries — it is so much easier than many expect. We’ve broken it down into a few simple steps for you to follow. You can find everything you’ll need to install GFiber in your home within your self install kit (including instructions on how to set it up, links to videos and a self-install wizard in the GFiber App that will walk you through the process). You can also choose to use your own router if you prefer and set that up. Make sure to choose your router from this list of compatible equipment and follow the instructions there.
You can learn more about preparing for your self-install here.
As soon as your installation is complete, you can start enjoying GFiber!