How to self-install your broadband, step by step

Self-install in a nutshell: what's on your wall decides the steps

Self-install means no engineer visits. Your provider switches the service on remotely on your activation date (go-live day) and you plug in the router it posts to you. That only works where a working connection is already in place, so the steps depend on what's on your wall: a phone socket (part fibre, which runs fibre to a street cabinet and copper phone line into your home), a Virgin Media cable socket (Virgin says it may be labelled Virgin Media, NTL or Telewest), or an ONT (optical network terminal), the small box a full-fibre line ends in.

Some part-fibre lines are now SOGEA (Single Order Generic Ethernet Access), which ISPreview describes as Openreach's standalone, data-only version of part fibre with no separate phone line rental. The router still connects at the main phone socket: Daisy's SOGEA set-up guide, for example, uses the Openreach master socket. Here's how each set-up looks, from providers' own instructions checked October 2026. If your provider's leaflet says something different, follow the leaflet.

What's on your wall	Cable from the router	What "ready" looks like (example provider)
Phone socket (part fibre or SOGEA)	Broadband cable into the main socket, through a microfilter if the socket needs one	BT Hub: steady blue. Sky Broadband Hub: all lights green.
Virgin Media cable socket	Isolator cable from the wall socket to the Hub	Virgin Hub 5: Wi-Fi light on and a solid white base light
Openreach ONT (full fibre)	Ethernet cable from the router's WAN port to the ONT's PORT 1 or LAN 1	Openreach: solid PON and LAN lights on the ONT. BT Hub: steady blue. Sky Gigafast+ Hub: solid white.

A home that has never had the connection you've ordered usually needs an engineer instead: see how long broadband installation takes.

Can you self-install? How providers decide

You don't usually choose: the provider checks your address when you order and tells you whether it can activate remotely or needs an engineer. For example:

Sky says it can usually activate without you being at home; if not, it books an engineer. Track your order shows either an activation date or an engineer visit date.
Virgin Media's QuickStart page says (in its TV-box FAQ) that you can self-install if your home has had Virgin Media installed before, which it checks when you order, and that an engineer visit to a home that never has could take 30 minutes to 2 hours.
Plusnet says that where Openreach full fibre is already in place, it switches the service on remotely, normally within 3 working days, with its Hub Two router; follow the leaflet in the box.
Vodafone says an engineer may need to visit for part fibre or full fibre. Its part-fibre steps describe a visit of up to four hours (someone over 18 must be home) that fits a master socket if you need one; you then set the router up yourself on activation day. Its 5G Indoor Broadband needs no engineer at all.

Still choosing? Ask the provider whether you'll need an engineer before you finish ordering. You can compare broadband deals at your postcode first; we show deals through a partner's comparison widget, and the provider you choose handles the order and installation.

When the router arrives: checks to do before go-live day

Find your activation date. Sky says it's on the address label on the hub packaging or in Track your order (or the My Sky app for its Gigafast+ Hub). Vodafone says to check its order tracker, or recent orders in My Vodafone.
Check the box against the leaflet. Virgin's Hub 5 kit, for example, holds the Hub, a power supply, an isolator cable, a splitter (only with TV) and an Ethernet cable. Sky says to use any new cables or "Conversion kit" it sends, or your broadband might not work.
On full fibre, check the ONT is on. Sky says remotely activated customers should already have an ONT and must check it's switched on and working before the date, with a green Power light. Openreach says it should have its own power supply.
Tell your provider about anything that relies on the line. Openreach says to do this before go-live if you rely on the line for calls, an intruder alarm, or a health pendant or wrist alarm. See our guide to telecare alarms and digital landlines.
Don't cancel your old broadband yourself. Switching at the same address uses Ofcom's One Touch Switch: you contact only the new provider, your current provider must send you the switching information (including any early-termination charges), and the new provider arranges the switch. Sky warns of a possible short gap, usually no more than an hour.

Where to put the router

The router has to sit where the line comes in, or within reach of the cable.

Phone line: BT says it's best to use the primary (main) socket, where the signal is strongest before it goes through your home's wiring. BT also says to avoid extension cables, or use a new, high-quality ADSL one if you must.
Full fibre: the router goes near the ONT. Don't move the ONT: Openreach says it and its fittings belong to Openreach, and tampering could lead to a call-out charge. If the supplied cable is too short, BT says a replacement should be Cat5e or higher; Sky says a longer cable for its Gigafast+ Hub must be CAT6a.
Around the router: Sky recommends the open with about 30cm of space, not a cabinet, the floor or behind the TV, and away from cordless phones and other wireless devices.

If the socket or ONT is in a poor spot for Wi-Fi, leave the router there and extend the network instead. See our guides to wiring your home with Ethernet and mesh Wi-Fi versus extenders.

Setting up on a phone line (part fibre or SOGEA)

On a phone line, the two things to get right are the socket and the microfilter.

Find the main socket

The main (or master) socket is where the line enters your home. BT says that if every socket looks like an extension, the primary socket is most likely the one nearest to where the line comes into the house. Use that one, not an extension.

Filter or no filter? Go by the socket

A microfilter is a small adaptor that separates phone and broadband signals. Whether you need one depends on your socket:

Single-port socket: BT says each socket with a phone or broadband device plugged in needs its own microfilter, and at the primary socket the filter goes in before anything else. The grey-ended broadband cable then goes into the filter's broadband port (usually marked DSL or ADSL).
Socket with two built-in ports: TalkTalk says these don't need microfilters. It also says never to plug filters into each other or into empty sockets.
Sky's Broadband Hub with Internet Calls: Sky sends two cables. Use the grey cable on a standard socket and the black cable on a prefiltered socket. Sky says the black cable won't work on a standard socket, and the grey cable won't work on a prefiltered one.

Being on SOGEA doesn't by itself settle it, so go by the socket and your provider's leaflet, not the product name.

Step by step

Unplug everything from the main socket, as Sky's first step says.
Connect the broadband cable, through a microfilter or straight in, following the socket rules above. On Sky's Internet Calls hub, the white end goes into the master socket and the purple end into the hub's purple port.
Plug in the power and switch on.
Wait for the ready light. BT says its hub lights should be steady blue; Sky says you're set up when all the lights turn green. For other hubs, see what your broadband hub lights mean.
Leave it on. Vodafone says to leave the router on until it connects, and that it should start working by midnight on activation day.

Your home phone. If your phone runs through the router, it plugs into the router, not the wall. Sky says its Internet Calls phones won't work in a phone socket, and that in a power cut or broadband fault you might not be able to call 999 or 112. See our guide to digital landlines in a power cut for back-up options.

Setting up Virgin Media cable (QuickStart)

These steps are from Virgin Media's Hub 5 QuickStart sheet, checked October 2026. For another hub, use the sheet in your box.

Connect the isolator cable to the wall. Push the red-banded end firmly into the Virgin Media wall socket. If you're also setting up a TV box, the cable instead goes from the black-banded end into the splitter socket marked "Wall".
Connect it to the Hub. The blue or black banded end goes into the socket on the back of the Hub.
Power on. Connect the power cable, plug it into the wall and switch on at both the Hub and the wall.
Look for the connected lights. Virgin says the Hub has connected when the Wi-Fi light is on and the base light is solid white.
Give it time. It can take up to 30 minutes for the connection to become stable. Check all the cables are secure in the meantime.

Set the Hub up first: Virgin says it should be online before you install a TV box, and that Wi-Fi Pods (its extra Wi-Fi units) need up to 24 hours to settle.

Socket problems. If there's no Virgin Media wall socket, it's damaged, or it's labelled BT or Sky, Virgin says to call it so an engineer can complete the installation free of charge. Its plans are on our Virgin Media broadband deals page.

Setting up with an existing full-fibre ONT

If your home already has full fibre, the provider can usually switch the ONT on remotely. Our guide to the ONT and your router explains the equipment; here's how to connect to it.

Find the ONT

Openreach describes its ONT as a small white box with the Openreach logo, usually close to a power socket. Sky adds that an ONT may be white or black, sometimes with an Openreach or Nokia logo, and is often under the stairs, near the old main phone socket, in a utility cupboard or near the fuse box. It may have one or four Ethernet ports labelled PORT or LAN.

In a flat, Sky says the ONT may be in a communal comms room: look for an Ethernet socket in your flat and ask your landlord or building management.

Connect it

Check the ONT has power. Its Power light should be green; don't switch the ONT off. Sky says the PON (fibre signal) light turns green after activation.
Plug the Ethernet cable into the router's WAN port (on BT hubs, the red-ended cable, into WAN or port 4).
Plug the other end into the ONT's PORT 1 or LAN 1 and push until it clicks. If your ONT has several ports, Sky says to use the one chosen when you ordered.
Power on the router and wait. BT says a steady blue light shows its hub is ready; Sky says its Gigafast+ Hub's front light turns solid white within about 5 minutes (up to 15 if it's updating). Openreach says solid PON and LAN lights mean you're connected, and it messages you once you're live.
No luck on that port? BT says to try the next port if PORT 1 gives no internet; Sky says to try a different port if the PORT/LAN light doesn't turn green.

Never unplug the green fibre cable the engineer fitted, BT says. If PON is off and LOS red or flashing, just check it's fully inserted.

Upgrading from part fibre? Ask whether your current router will be reused. Our guide to upgrading to full fibre covers the switch.

Other full-fibre networks

Altnets (alternative networks to Openreach) work similarly:

CityFibre says its engineers leave the line tested and ready if your router arrives after installation. If it isn't live, your provider may still need to activate it. See how CityFibre installation works.
Hyperoptic says its engineer usually sets up the Hyperhub. To do it yourself, an Ethernet cable runs from the router's WAN port to the Hyperoptic wall socket, or to the LAN or LAN1 port of a fibre converter. It's ready when the WAN and internet lights are green. Hyperoptic's plans are on our Hyperoptic broadband deals page.

Getting your devices online

Wi-Fi name and password. These are printed on the router: Virgin Media's are on a label on the side or base of the Hub (and a removable card with the Hub 5). A new router usually means a new network name, so devices need reconnecting: see keeping devices connected when you switch, or, if the label goes missing, how to find a forgotten Wi-Fi password.
Use a cable where you can. Plug devices near the router, such as a TV box, in by Ethernet. Virgin Media says a cable can give a more stable connection, especially for TV.
Test it. Once you're online, run our broadband speed test on a device plugged in by cable. If it's slower than you expected, read broadband slower after switching before reporting a fault.

It won't connect on go-live day: check in this order

Check the clock. Sky, Vodafone and Openreach all say activation can take until midnight on the day. Offline at lunchtime isn't a fault yet. On Virgin Media cable, allow up to 30 minutes after the lights come on.
Check power and cables. Switched on at the wall and router? Cables pushed in until they click? Ethernet in the WAN port? On Sky's phone-line hub, the right cable for your socket?
Phone line: rule out the wiring. BT suggests unplugging all other equipment from every socket. If your main socket has a line across the middle, BT says you can remove the faceplate and connect to the test socket behind it (through a microfilter). If broadband then works, the problem is likely your internal wiring or something plugged into an extension. More in broadband that keeps dropping out.
Full fibre: check the ONT lights. No lights, flashing PON or red LOS: Openreach says switch the ONT off at the power for 30 seconds, then if needed hold the reset button for 10-15 seconds (a paper clip works). BT says PON flashing with LOS off means it's still verifying, so wait for solid green; all PORT lights off means the Ethernet cable is out or broken.
Restart the router once and check its lights against your provider's guide or our hub lights guide.
Contact your provider. On the Openreach network, persistent problems go to your provider, not Openreach. Have your order or account number ready. Vodafone says to get in touch if you're still not connected after activation day; Virgin Media, if the Hub won't connect after 30 minutes.

If the problem is the order, not the kit

If the provider tells you it can't match your address, see what to do when a provider can't find your address. If it cancels the order, our guide to a cancelled broadband order explains where you stand.

If your start date is missed

Ofcom runs a voluntary automatic compensation scheme. ISPreview, reporting Ofcom, says that from April 2026 signatories pay £6.46 a day when a new service doesn't start on the agreed date. Signatories include BT, EE, Plusnet, Sky, TalkTalk, Virgin Media and Vodafone. Our guide to automatic compensation explains the rules.

When you need an engineer after all

Some problems can't be fixed by re-plugging. Ask your provider about an engineer when:

There's no ONT, it has no power supply, or it shows a red light or no power light. Openreach says an engineer may need to visit, and to reply to its messages.
Your home has never had the connection you ordered. A first full-fibre install normally needs an engineer: see what to expect from a full fibre installation.
Your phone-line wiring is the problem. If the test socket works but your extensions don't, the fault is inside your home. Ask whether a visit would be charged first: see engineer visit charges.

When your contract ends, you can compare deals at your postcode again, look at fibre broadband deals if full fibre has reached you, or check the plans on our BT broadband deals and Sky broadband deals pages.

Broadband self-install FAQs

Can I set up my broadband without an engineer?

Usually yes, if a working connection is already in your home: a phone line, a Virgin Media cable socket in a home that has had Virgin Media before, or an existing full fibre ONT. The provider switches it on remotely on your activation date and you plug in the router. Homes that have never had the connection you've ordered normally need an engineer.

Can I plug my new router in before the activation date?

It won't connect before then, and providers' advice differs. Sky says to wait until the activation date and set up in the morning if you can (a replacement hub for a fault needn't wait). Openreach's full fibre steps simply say to connect the router to the ONT, or to do so when it arrives. Follow your provider's leaflet; activation can take until midnight.

Do I need a microfilter with my new router?

It depends on your phone socket. BT and TalkTalk say a standard single-port socket needs a microfilter on every socket with equipment plugged in, while a socket with two built-in ports doesn't. Never plug filters into each other or into empty sockets. Sky's Internet Calls hub comes with a grey cable for standard sockets and a black one for prefiltered sockets.

Which port on the ONT should I plug my router into?

Use the ONT port marked PORT 1 or LAN 1, and the WAN port on your router. If your ONT has several ports, Sky says to use the one chosen when you ordered. If that port gives no internet or its light doesn't turn green, BT and Sky both say to try the next port.

Can I install Virgin Media broadband myself?

Often, yes. Virgin's QuickStart page says (in its TV-box FAQ) that you can self-install if your home has had Virgin Media installed before, which it checks when you order. You connect the isolator cable from the wall socket to the Hub and switch on. If there's no Virgin socket, or it's damaged or labelled BT or Sky, its Hub 5 sheet says an engineer finishes the job free of charge.

Why doesn't my home phone work after setting up the router?

If your phone service now runs over broadband, the phone has to plug into the router rather than a wall socket. Sky says its Internet Calls phones won't work in a phone socket. Openreach says a phone service ordered with full fibre should activate the same day, and if there's no dial tone you should check the broadband is working first, then contact your provider.