Watch a real install and setup
Two walk-throughs: what happens on the day, and where to place the ONT.
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Dave's Garage
Where to put the fibre box or ONT in your home
Chorus
From the fiber drop at the street to the router in your living room, here's what happens on install day, how long it takes, and how to place the ONT and router so you actually get the speed you're paying for.
A fiber install brings a hair-thin glass line from the network to a small box on your wall (the ONT), which hands off to your router. For most homes it's a 1.5–3 hour appointment, and Highline's is a $99 white-glove visit — the technician does the work, you point at where you want the equipment. Here's the whole path, so nothing on the day surprises you.
Fiber gets from the street to your house one of two ways: aerial (strung from a utility pole to your eave) or buried (a conduit trenched underground to your wall). Which you get depends on how utilities already run on your street. Buried drops sometimes happen on a separate visit from the inside install.
They pick where the fiber enters — usually near existing utility penetrations — drill a small pass-through, and run the line to where the ONT will mount. On larger rural lots the drop run can be long, which is one reason Highline scopes the job at your address.
The Optical Network Terminal converts light to a network signal. It's a small box, needs a power outlet, and ideally sits somewhere central and out of the way — a utility closet, office, or living-room corner. Its placement drives your router placement, so think about this before the tech arrives.
Highline's WiFi 7 router plugs into the ONT. The technician configures it, names your network, and confirms your plan speed on a wired test.
Before leaving, the tech runs a hardwired speed test to confirm you're getting your tier. If the number's low at the ONT, that's their problem to fix on the spot — get it verified while they're there.
An aerial drop is faster to install (no digging) but visible along your eave and poles. A buried drop is tidier and more weather-resilient but needs trenching or boring, may require locating other buried utilities first (call 811 territory), and can add a day. Neither affects your internet speed — the fiber performs identically. On Bastrop County's mix of town lots and acreage, expect either.
You can buy 2 Gig and still get weak Wi-Fi in the back bedroom if the router is hidden in a closet behind the water heater. The rules:
Not sure which tier feeds all this? The speed guide sizes your plan; plans and pricing lists the tiers.
Two walk-throughs: what happens on the day, and where to place the ONT.
Install only happens once the drop reaches your street. Check first, then book.
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