Does AT&T fiber use a modem?
Now, while AT&T fiber internet does not necessarily require a router to establish connectivity, you do need a modem to introduce the fiber connection into your residential or commercial property. The piece of equipment that AT&T Fiber employs to connect to the customer’s home is referred to as an Optical Network Terminal or ONT, which may be closer to a set-top box than a regular cable modem.
What is AT&T Fiber?
AT&T fiber internet, also referred to as AT&T Fiber is a telecommunications network that relies on fiber optic cables for its connection and is capable of providing clients with very high internet connection speeds. Optical cables work by carrying information as light signals through strands of glass or plastic, hence offering higher speeds than the copper cable internet.
The fiber connection offered by AT&T currently offers a download speed of up to 1 Gbps and an upload speed of up to 1 Gbps based on the chosen plan. In contrast, the average speed of basic cable Internet connection in the USA is approximately 150 Mbps. By that token, the potential is there for AT&T Internet fiber to be a whole lot faster.
Fiber internet is perfect for large homes with many devices to connect or for businesses with many devices that require a fast and reliable internet connection. It also enhances quick upload speeds that are important in activities like video streaming, and online backup among others.
What is an ONT?
Even though fiber optic cables can transmit internet data at the speed of light over a long distance, that glass fiber strand is unable to be inserted directly into routers, computers, or other devices in homes or even in an office building.
That’s where the Optical Network Terminal or ONT comes into play, it simply translates the GPON signals into Ethernet signals and sends them to the router. ONT transforms the light signals transmitted through fiber optic lines into electrical signals which can then be accessed through wired or wireless ethernet routers.
In effect, an AT&T fiber ONT is much like a cable modem in handling cable Internet connections. It is a device that sits between the internet service provider’s physical structure and the end consumer’s local home or office network. The difference is in the kind of transmission technology where the glass fiber is used to transmit light signals as compared to electric signals used in copper cables.
In some models, the ONT box may also include routers, switches, or Wi-Fi access points for getting directly connected to the user's equipment without any other devices.
Installation Process
The technician from AT&T will also visit your premises to install and configure the ONT after signing up for fiber internet service. This process typically involves:
- Having a fiber optic line taken from the nearest AT&T fiber connection site to the building you wish to have the fiber optic line installed in. Sometimes this may mean a little more construction work to hide or place the line.
- Connecting the Optical Network Terminal box to the room where it will be used in a home or business. This is a container that is normally fixed on a wall of the building to withstand the ravages of the Weather. The fiber line from outside connects directly to the ONT, an incoming fiber line to the premises.
- Optical network terminal cables to reach the inner local area network distribution equipment. In most cases, it would be a cable Ethernet to your WiFi router and then the router can work to wirelessly transmit internet signals to all the devices and computers. The ONT stands for Optical Network Terminal and it is the entity that gives the router the connection to the internet.
Further devices such as routers, wireless access points, data switches, etc. can then be plugged into the ONT in various topologies based on the user's networking requirements. A technician from the company known as AT&T can help one configure this preferred setting.
What About the Router – Do I Have to Bring My Own?
Depending on the specific fiber installation package that you choose, AT&T may provide you with equipment such as a WiFi router or a WiFi gateway unit. But you can also manually select the compatible equipment for networking, thus receiving more control over the functions of your network.
As long as the equipment has the standard specifications that would enable it to support gigabit connection speed, any contemporary consumer WiFi router or mesh should seamlessly integrate with the AT&T fiber ONT. ONT just provides the basic internet service, which is the internet connection, and the router manages all the smart network services such as assigning the IP addresses, broadcasting the WiFi signals, prioritizing the connections, and so on.
Benefits of Using Your Router: Benefits of Using Your Router:
- Take advantage of features available on most high-end consumer routers including customized parenting controls, usage statistics, speed tests, Quality of Service settings, and others
- Install and use software such as DD-WRT or OpenWrt for additional capabilities beyond those of typical consumer router firmware
- Do not pay a rental fee for AT&T gateway equipment per month
- Maintain a direct say in the passwords, configurations, frequency, and all such related parameters of the network.
With the expansion of fiber internet day by day through different cities and towns of the US, more homes and businesses are being able to benefit from the unparalleled speed, dependability, and technology preparedness that this high-bandwidth connectivity solution offers. Compared to cable and DSL the underlying basis of optical transmission is extremely different but AT&T handles it by essentially using fiber terminations known as Optical Network Terminals which convert signals for compatibility with today’s local network. While dedicated fiber infrastructure gives the optimal fiber experience to subscribers, the flexibility of BYOH is the key to the maximum utilization of AT&T fiber for homes and businesses.
Upgrade to faster, more reliable AT&T Fiber Internet today! Call us at +1 844-905-5002 and get connected with speeds that keep you ahead.