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GFiber Business Installation Step-by-Step Guide

Learn about the step-by-step process for installing GFiber services at your business, including pre-installation property preparations and what to expect during your installation appointment.
Here's what to expect during your GFiber Business installation appointment.
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We use a few terms for the same appointment. You might see installation appointment, in-home install (for homes), or on-site install (for businesses). In this article, we’ll use on-site install.

Step 1: Sign up for service

When you sign up for GFiber Business service, you’ll pick an on-site install (or “installation appointment”) window for a GFiber technician to come inside your business and install your router.

Before that appointment, GFiber crews complete the exterior work needed to connect your location to our network (details below). This exterior work typically happens in the 2-4 weeks leading up to your on-site install.

A few things to take care of now:

  • Download the GFiber App for iOS or Android to confirm or change your appointment and track your technician on installation day.
  • Expect a call from one of our vendors to schedule your site survey — this comes before your on-site install and helps us plan your setup. 
  • Keep your current internet active until a GFiber technician completes the on-site install and confirms your GFiber service is working.

Step 2: Site survey

A third-party vendor will contact you to schedule your site survey — the first step in bringing GFiber to your business. This visit helps us understand your layout so we can plan an efficient install. If you have an IT contact or team, please have them available on site during this step.

During the survey, we will:

  • Map the best path to bring fiber to your business.
  • Confirm where to install the Network Interface Unit (NIU).
  • Identify access needs (for example, communication closets, utility rooms, or a clear path to the planned NIU location).

Step 3: Utility line marking

After the survey, a third-party crew will mark underground utilities on or near your property with flags and/or temporary paint, if needed. Because utility line marking is performed by independent companies coordinated through the 811 system, we can’t provide an exact completion date.

Important:

  • These markers must stay in place until construction is complete. Please don’t remove or disturb them, and let any landscaping or lawn crews know to avoid them as well.
  • If you have any personal in-ground installations (for example, invisible dog fences or sprinkler systems), we recommend marking them with flags or spray paint to help prevent accidental damage.
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    Note for customers in Texas: Standard GFiber installations in Texas typically don’t require utility line marking because we don’t dig below the minimum depth for other utilities. Marking may still be needed in certain situations.

Step 4: On-property prep

Once utility lines are marked, our construction team will complete the on-property preparation. This phase may take a few days and generally includes:
  1. Confirming utility line marks — We verify existing underground utilities are clearly marked.
  2. Running the fiber line to your business and installing the NIU
    1. Underground installation (most common):
      • We carefully bury a fiber-optic cable from the curb/Right-of-Ways to your building using the method that fits your property: hand digging, trenching, or boring underneath driveways/hardscape. 
      • In some cases, we may place a temporary above-ground drop until conditions allow us to bury it.
    2. Aerial installation: 
      • In some areas, your fiber line may be strung from utility poles to your building.
  3. NIU placement & activation — We’ll install a small gray box called the Network Interface Unit (NIU) on the exterior of your building near existing utilities, then we’ll bring fiber inside through a small hole, activate the fiber connection, and validate light levels to ensure a strong, stable connection.
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    How fiber works: Fiber-optic cables carry pulses of light, not electricity, so they’re non-conductive.

Step 5: On-site install

Once exterior work is complete, you’re ready for your on-site install. During this appointment, a technician brings the fiber connection inside, places your Fiber Jack, and ensures your wired and Wi-Fi connections are working. 

For a smooth appointment:

  • Make sure someone 18 years or older is present for the entire appointment.

  • Have your IT contact or team (and building management or a superintendent, if applicable) available to grant access to communication closets and shared facilities.

  • Have access to the email address and password you used to sign up for GFiber.

  • Clear the area where the technician will work — likely near the NIU, in your office, or in communication closets.

  • Download the GFiber App for iOS or Android to make changes to your appointment, add it to your calendar, and track your technician with Tech Tracker.

Day-of timeline

  • We’ll email you when your technician is on the way (you may also receive a text if you opted in during signup). 

  • You can track your technician’s location and ETA in real time in the GFiber App using Tech Tracker.

  • Technicians typically arrive within 30 minutes of your scheduled start time, and the appointment usually takes about two hours.

What the technician will do:

  1. Confirm the exterior fiber line and equipment are connected and working. 

  2. Place your Fiber Jack — The technician will work with you to choose the best location inside your business for the Fiber Jack, which connects the fiber signal from the NIU to your internal network. 

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    How it works: The Fiber Jack converts the optical signal (light) from the fiber optic cable into an electrical signal your devices can use.

  3. Install your router —

    • Use the GFiber-provided router: The technician connects the Fiber Jack to your GFiber Wi-Fi 6E Router and confirms connectivity. You (or your IT team) will configure network settings. 

    • Use your own router: You (or your IT team) connect your router to the Fiber Jack and configure your network settings.

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      Heads up: If you use your own router, keep the GFiber-provided router at your business for the duration of your service.
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      Tip for static IPs: Work with your IT manager to configure static IP settings to minimize any disruption in service.
  4. Network validation — The technician will run tests on site and remotely to confirm your network is configured and performing as expected.
  5. Speed test — The technician will run speed tests to check your internet’s performance. They can also show you how to run tests in the GFiber App. If you’d like an independent check, you can use speedtest.net.

FAQs