You checked your address, picked a plan, and the install date is on the calendar. Here's exactly what happens next — and the small things you can do to make it effortless.
Before install day
- Decide where the equipment should live. The optical network terminal (ONT) and router work best somewhere central, off the floor, with a power outlet — not buried in a metal cabinet or a far corner of the garage. Central router placement can transform your Wi-Fi.
- Clear the path. The tech will run fiber from the street or pole to your home's exterior, then to the equipment spot. Move anything blocking exterior walls, attic access, or the room where service enters.
- Know your household's needs. Work-from-home office upstairs? Cameras on the shop? Tell the tech — drop locations are much easier to get right the first time.
- Plan to be home. An adult needs to be present. Most installs run 2–4 hours.
What the technician does
- Runs the drop — fiber line from the network to your house (aerial or buried, matching your utilities).
- Mounts the ONT — the small box that converts light into your home network connection.
- Connects the router and confirms speeds at the source.
- Tests with you — a good tech won't leave until you've seen it working.
After the tech leaves
- Run a speed test on a wired device first (that's your true speed), then over Wi-Fi.
- Reconnect your devices — or keep your old Wi-Fi name and password to skip re-pairing everything.
- Walk the house. Dead zone in a back bedroom? That's a router-placement or mesh question, not a fiber problem — our eero guide covers the fix.
Timberline customers: you have our number after install. If anything feels off in the first week — speeds, Wi-Fi coverage, a port you need opened — call (903) 423-0380. That's the whole point of having a local advisor.