Router installation & replacement
Fit or swap the customer's gateway router so the whole property gets internet. The router takes the line from the ONT and shares it over Wi-Fi and Ethernet.
Overview
The gateway router is the heart of every customer network. Its WAN port takes the internet from the fibre ONT. Every switch, access point, laptop, NVR and server in the building then gets online through it. A router on the wrong port, with no power or not cabled to a live ONT, leaves the customer with nothing — and their CCTV remote viewing, laptops and self-hosted websites go down with it.
Jobs this covers
net_router, net_router_swap — certificate: Network installation (required)
The equipment — what everything does
Gateway router (OPS Gateway Pro / Mini, OPS EdgeLink E5 / E7, OPS HomeRouter AX4)
Routes traffic between the customer's LAN and the internet, hands out addresses (DHCP) and runs the firewall and Wi-Fi.
In game: Placed as a Wi-Fi/router tower from the /towers menu. It must be powered (socket nearby or PoE) and cabled to the ONT to show as online.
Fibre ONT
Turns the light on the customer's fibre into Ethernet. It needs light from a cabinet and an active OPS Network service.
In game: Usually already fitted on the wall. [E] shows its light and service status.
CAT6 patch lead
Connects the ONT LAN port to the router WAN port.
In game: Pull CAT6 from the nearest box, then terminate one end on the ONT and the other on the router.
Tools & PPE
RJ45 crimper & cable tester
Fits RJ45 plugs onto CAT6 and proves all eight cores are connected in the right order.
Cordless drill & fixings
Drills walls for cable entry and fixes brackets, cameras and boxes with the right plugs and screws.
Engineer laptop & console cable
Configures routers, NVRs and servers, runs speed tests and opens OPS Hub.
Label printer
Labels both ends of every cable and port so the next engineer knows what is what.
Hi-vis vest & hard hat PPE
Makes you visible to traffic and protects your head from falling objects and low beams.
Standalone servers: tools are in your van (OPS Work → My van & tools). Items servers: collect them — and the job’s parts — at an OPS depot.
Step by step
Walk to the ONT and press [E]. You need a lit ONT with an active service before a router can get online. If it's dark, the job is really a fibre fault — tell dispatch.
Open /towers → OPS Network and place the router somewhere central, near a socket. If you're swapping, remove the old router first.
Use 'Pull CAT6 from the nearest box' and run the cable from the ONT to the router along the walls. Crimp an RJ45 onto each end and terminate it into the kit.
Use the cable tester. An unterminated or loose end means no link.
Make sure the router has a socket within reach. Open the job in OPS Work and press Check — it must show the router powered and online.
Label both ends of the cable and clip loose runs to the wall.
Health & safety
Working at height
Risk: A fall from a ladder or pole can cause serious injury.
Control: Use a ladder at a 1-in-4 angle on firm ground with three points of contact. Above 2 m on a pole, clip on your harness.
Electricity
Risk: Mains voltage can give a fatal shock and cause burns.
Control: Never open powered kit. Isolate and prove dead with a voltage tester before touching terminals.
Trailing cables
Risk: Customers and staff trip over loose cable during the job.
Control: Route cable along walls, clip or trunk it, and never leave a run across a walkway.
In game you confirm these in a risk assessment before starting. Skipping them on risky work can cause a fall or a shock — and it’s logged as a safety incident.
When it’s not done correctly
Router placed with no socket nearby
It shows unpowered, the Work check fails and the job stays open until you fix it.
Cable not terminated at both ends
There's no link. The router stays offline and everything behind it — Wi-Fi, CCTV remote viewing, laptops — has no internet.
Installed before accepting the job
Only kit placed after you accept counts. The check won't see it, so you redo the work.
ONT had no light and you fitted the router anyway
The router never gets online. The real fault (fibre) goes unreported and the customer's SLA deadline passes.
Finished after the SLA due time
The job is logged as an SLA breach against the company, and it shows on the dashboard.