Do I need an ONT?

[dragos000]

Hi All,
I'm new to the subject of optical fiber networking, and still waiting for SONIC to come in our neighborhood (probably June 2024). In the mean time I want to figure out the hardware and software router configuration.

I am a bit confused about the necessity of the ONT at the house entry point. You definitely need one if you need to use copper cabling right away, but what if I want to upgrade to 100% optical fiber networking?

I am thinking that I could connect the SONIC fiber directly to one of the router SFP+ ports. Is this going to work?

Thanks!

[dane]

Yes, a Sonic optical network terminal (ONT) will be installed in your home as part of the installation process. It outputs copper Ethernet, at either 1Gbps or 10Gbps.

We connect that to a Sonic supplied router and whole-home WiFi mesh equipment.

You could also DIY it and manage that part yourself, but this reduces our support capabilities and visibility, and also means you’d be charged for truck-rolls for future repair requests if they become necessary.

[dragos000]

Can I opt for an ONT with an optical fiber output as opposed to copper cable?

[artakamoose]

Can I opt for an ONT with an optical fiber output as opposed to copper cable?

I’m not aware of an ISP in the US that does this currently. Mostly because few consumer routers have 10Gbsp connectivity and the few that do only do so via copper. Hopefully, we’ll see it in the future. Supposedly, the power consumption is getting better with 10Gbase-t. Still, it would be nice to just use fiber instead of copper.

[ngufra]

in the 1 Gbps fiber service the ONT includes an ATA that is needed for the voip phone line.