Preparing your site for a BTnet installation

Why site preparation matters

BT's terms for BTnet put a set of preparation duties on the customer, because BT's engineers can only install into a site that is ready for them. If the site is not ready, the visit may not go ahead, and the date can slip.

There is a cost angle too. BT's terms say that if you cause an unreasonable delay during delivery or installation, BT may charge as if the service had been fully installed from the scheduled Service Start Date. That expressly includes not giving BT access to the site within five Business Days of BT asking. Preparing early protects both your date and your budget.

Your site preparation checklist

The rest of this page goes through each area, with practical tips that go beyond the contract wording.

Space, power and the comms room

Choose where the line will end before the survey, and make sure the space suits equipment that will run for years.

• Space. Allow room for the NTE and, on the managed Cisco router or Meraki options, BT's equipment, plus your own firewall and switches. A rack or wall-mounted cabinet keeps it tidy and safe.
• Environment. A secure, dry room away from heat, dust and accidental knocks. A cupboard that doubles as a store room is a common source of later problems.
• Power. BT's terms ask for a secure, continuous power supply at the points BT specifies. Avoid sockets that are switched off at night or shared with heaters and kettles.
• Back-up power. BT's terms also ask for back-up power with enough capacity to meet the standby requirements of the applicable British standards, so that a power failure does not take the service down. A suitably sized uninterruptible power supply is the usual way to do this; ask your electrician or IT provider to size it.
• Security. BT's equipment remains BT's property. BT's terms say not to move or relocate it without BT's written consent, and you pay BT's reasonable costs of any move, so put it where it can stay.

If you plan resilient BTnet, think about whether the two lines can enter and terminate in places that do not share a single point of failure, including power.

Cabling and building works

Getting the line from the entry point to your equipment is often the longest part of an installation, and BT's terms make the building side your responsibility:

• Cable route. Provide trunking, conduits, cable trays and telecoms connection points where needed, following BT's reasonable instructions and the relevant installation standards.
• Access through the building. Take up floor coverings, lift ceiling tiles and remove partition covers, or make openings in walls, in time for the engineers to run the line.
• Landlord approval. In rented premises, building works and openings usually need landlord consent. Ask early, alongside any wayleave agreement.
• Internal cabling. Arrange the cabling between BT's equipment and your own network. On BTnet wires only, that is the link from the NTE to your router or firewall.
• Making good. After installation, BT's terms ask you to make good cosmetic damage and restore the site, including any redecoration.

A good IT provider or cabling contractor can prepare the route before the visit. The survey report is the best brief to give them.

Access, contacts and health and safety

Engineers can only work where they can get to, safely, with someone who can make decisions:

• Customer Contact. BT's terms ask you to name people who are suitably qualified and authorised to act for you on the service. They are also the people who report faults after go-live; see BT leased line support.
• Equipment contact. Name at least one person responsible for BT's equipment at each site.
• Access details. Give BT the information and access arrangements it needs in good time before a visit, such as parking, sign-in, keys and permits.
• An escort. Have someone available to accompany BT's representatives where required.
• Health and safety. Tell BT in writing about any site rules and hazards. BT's terms say BT will comply with reasonable health, safety and security rules you have notified in writing.
• Out-of-hours work. BT's terms allow BT to charge for commissioning outside Business Hours, so ask about it at quote stage if your site needs it.

Your own network and equipment

BTnet connects to your network at the service management boundary: the LAN port of BT's managed equipment, or the NTE on wires only. Everything on your side is yours to prepare:

• A suitable LAN. BT's terms ask you to provide and maintain a LAN that can interface with the service, and to configure it. BT does not support your LAN.
• Your router or firewall on wires only. Have it ready, configured for the static IP addresses BT allocates. See static IP addresses on BTnet.
• Compatible, protected equipment. Equipment you connect should be technically compatible, protected against viruses and other security breaches, and used in line with BT's interface specifications.
• Data centre delivery. If BTnet is delivered to a data centre, BT's terms ask you to arrange the cross-connect from the data centre's meet-me room to your equipment.
• Wi-Fi. BT does not test wireless access. If you take BTnet Wi-Fi, plan your own tests and set strong passwords.

After installation

Once BT confirms the service is ready, you have five Business Days for acceptance tests before the service is treated as accepted, as explained in our BTnet installation process guide. From the Service Start Date, keep BT's equipment where it was installed, keep the power and environment stable, and keep your contact details current.

Forever Communications is an Authorised Supplier for BT, and we can help you work through this checklist for your building, and point out what to raise with your landlord, IT provider or electrician before the survey. Contact us to start a BTnet quote.