Preparing for the installation of fibre-based broadband such as BT Infinity

Your BT Home Hub 3 should arrive two days before your installation date. Please have it ready to hand when the engineer arrives. The engineer will bring the other bit of new equipment you need – an Openreach fibre modem.

To speed up your installation it will help if you think about where your new equipment will go.

Normally it's best to put it where your old Hub sits, but there are three things to consider:

1. Power: You'll need two power sockets where your BT Home Hub 3 is to be installed. To be sure you have enough sockets available, we recommend you have a spare power extension lead to hand on the day of installation.
2. Wiring: Unlike a standard broadband Hub, we can't plug the Hub 3 into a phone extension socket - it needs to connect directly to your phone master socket. This is because standard home phone wiring (between sockets) can't carry the higher data speeds of fibe-based broadband.

   You might have your old Hub plugged into a phone extension socket, perhaps in your study. You may want to think about putting your new Hub close to your phone master socket, so you don't have cables running around the house. But then you'll have to move your computer near to your Hub too. You can connect using Wi-Fi, but we recommend a wired connection if you want the fastest and most stable line possible.

   Please see: Why is a wired connection better than wireless for fibre-based broadband?

   So you now need to think about how a Data Extension Kit cable (max 30 metres long) can run from your master socket to your new BT Home Hub. The engineer will install the cable and talk to you about the route of the new cable. They'll tack it neatly to the top of skirting boards and run it around door frames, but are not allowed to run it under carpets.

3. Furniture: If the engineer needs to lay your new cable behind furniture for a tidy installation, you'll need to move this out of the way first.