Prepare for Your gFiber Professional Installation

Watch this 3-minute video to see the full gFiber installation process:

When you sign up for gFiber service and choose a professional installation, you select an in-home appointment window. A gFiber technician will visit your home to install your router and any required mesh extenders.

1. In the Google Play Store or Apple App Store, download the gFiber App to confirm or manage your appointment and track your technician on installation day.
2. Keep your current internet service active until your gFiber technician confirms your new gFiber connection is fully operational.
3. Confirmation: Check the gFiber App dashboard to verify that your scheduled appointment window displays correctly.

Before installation, underground public utility lines on your property must be marked to prevent accidental damage. Once you schedule your appointment, gFiber submits a locator request to the 811 service. An independent third-party locator will mark public utilities in your yard using flags or spray paint.

Standard gFiber installations in Texas typically do not require utility line marking because lines do not reach the minimum depth of other public utilities.

If you have private underground lines (such as sprinkler systems, invisible dog fences, or private electric lines), mark them with flags or spray paint before your appointment date.

What to expect during line marking

• Yard access: Utility locator technicians may enter your yard. They knock on your front door first, but will proceed with marking if you are away and the yard is accessible.
• Rescheduling delays: Third-party companies manage utility marking schedules. If line marking is incomplete before your scheduled date, gFiber will call and email you to reschedule your in-home appointment.

Once public utility line marking is complete, gFiber crews begin exterior property preparation. This work takes a few days, and you do not need to be home:

1. Verify utility marks: The crew verifies that all public underground utilities are flagged or painted.
2. Run the fiber optic line: Crews route the fiber cable from the street to your home using 1 of 2 methods:
   • Underground installation: Crews dig a shallow trench up to 9 inches deep or bore under driveways to bury the cable. If ground conditions prevent immediate burial, crews may temporarily lay a line on the ground surface.
   • Aerial installation: Crews string the line overhead from utility poles to your home exterior.
3. Mount the Network Interface Unit (NIU): Technicians attach a small gray box (the NIU) to an exterior wall and drill a small entryway hole to bring the fiber line indoors.
4. Splice and validate signal: A technician splices the cable to activate the light signal and tests the optical power level.
   

   Curious how it works? Fiber optic cables transmit data using pulses of light instead of electrical currents, making them completely non-conductive and immune to electrical interference.

Once outdoor property prep is complete, your home is ready for the in-home install. The appointment takes about 2 hours, and your technician typically arrives within 30 minutes of your scheduled start time.

Prepare your home before the technician arrives

1. Ensure a responsible adult (18 years or older) is present inside the home for the entire 2-hour appointment window.
2. Locate and write down your gFiber account email and password.
3. Clear physical obstacles around the exterior NIU wall box and the interior rooms where you want your router and extenders placed.
4. In the gFiber App, track your technician's estimated arrival time on the day of your appointment.

What happens during your appointment

1. Arrival verification: The technician verifies the outdoor light signal at the NIU and confirms an adult is present.
2. Fiber Jack installation: The technician installs an interior Fiber Jack wall outlet to bridge the exterior line to your indoor setup.
3. Equipment configuration: The technician sets up your gFiber router, any mesh extenders, gFiber Phone equipment, or optional hardware like Internet Battery Backup.
4. Network diagnostics: The technician runs signal speed and coverage tests to confirm network health.
5. Verify speed and connectivity: In the gFiber App, navigate to the Network section and tap Run Speed Test to confirm your upload and download speeds match your product speed tier.