Advice needed for ONT inside & enclosure outside

I currently have Verizon FIOS service with an ONT inside my basement, and I'm looking for advice on whether I need to put an enclosure (demarc) outside.

About 6 months ago, Verizon replaced my old outdoor ONT with a new ONT installed in my basement. I still have the old enclosure on the back of the house which now simply connects the outdoor fiber line to the indoor fiber line.

New ONT inside basementEnclosure on back of houseOutdoor fiber line to front of house

To prepare for some extensive construction work in the back of our house next week, I asked Verizon to run a new fiber line from the street to the front of the house. Yesterday, Verizon ran that new outdoor fiber line for me to the front of the house exactly as I had requested.

I am now getting some conflicting guidance from different Verizon technicians as to whether 1) I need to place a new enclosure on the front of the house to connect the the outdoor fiber to the indoor fiber line; or 2) I should simply run the outdoor fiber directly to the ONT installed in my basement. (The new outdoor fiber line is long enough to reach the ONT installed in my basement).

What are your thoughts? Are there any significant advantages and disadvantages on 1) placing a new enclosure on the front of the house; or 2) running the outdoor fiber line directly to the ONT installed in the basement?

Thanks,
Jason

Accepted answers

Edg1

1. A flat metal romex clamp would be fine, but a tech will have to come out an connect the new fiber at the curb. They should have some clamps for you.

2. Just leave a coil of that wire outside the house. That wire is for locating purposes if you ever have to do digging on the property.

3. Based on your pictures the fiber can’t be plugged directly into the ONT. You will need that adapter from the old white enclosure in the back. But again, the tech that comes out should also have the adapter.

As far as having an enclosure outside you will always get different options. I personally like the enclosure outside. If the fiber ever get damaged from digging the tech won’t need to come in the house. I’m sure most homeowners would rather not have a tech who is all muddy from working outside to have to come through the house. Some homeowners may not want the enclosure so it is really up to you.

All comments

gs0b

There's no need for an outdoor box. That was simply a legacy of your upgrade installation. Many installs run the drop fiber through the wall right to the ONT. The ONT enclosure you have looks like it has a place for the fiber end on the right side of the box.

A Verizon tech will likely need to be involved in the switch over, as the new drop fiber may not yet be lit.

DSLJason

I went ahead and drilled a hole through the front of the house and ran the outdoor fiber directly to the ONT in my basement.

I had a couple of follow-up questions before I call Verizon to activate the new fiber line.

1) Is there a recommended way to secure the fiber in place? I plugged the hole in the side of the house with silicon, but this doesn't secure the fiber line in place.

2) The outdoor fiber has a thin wire-looking strip running alongside the fiber. You can see this thin-wire looking strip curled up in the photo. What is this used for? Can it be cut off?

3) Can the outdoor fiber be plugged directly into the ONT or will I need some kind of an adapter?

Thanks,
Jason

gs0b

FYI, you're talking to other customers here. The crowd here is a bit less technical then the crowd over at dslreports, where you've gotten some excellent responses.

If you want to talk to Verizon, use chat or contact their social media support team. For best results, use the VZ Direct forum at dslreports.

DSLJason

Oh...thanks. Didn't realize that. Appreciate the advice.

Edg1

1. A flat metal romex clamp would be fine, but a tech will have to come out an connect the new fiber at the curb. They should have some clamps for you.

2. Just leave a coil of that wire outside the house. That wire is for locating purposes if you ever have to do digging on the property.

Made_In_Italy

Hi gsOb,

1st off, Thank you for your many contributions to helping us.

I'am not the original poster and i apologize for 'bumping' an old thread as that was not my intention. I'm also new here and i'am having some trouble locating this VZ Direct/dslreports forum. Can you please send me an actual link ? I can't seem to find it in the subcategories. My apologies as im still learning the website layout here.

Thank you in advance 😃 Very helpful.

[Deleted User]

In order to keep discussion on the community current, this topic has been locked to prevent new replies. If you have a similar question or issue that you wish to discuss, then please feel free to post a new message on the most relevant board. Thanks!