We believe work is easier to manage when you know what to expect. If you follow the guidelines on this page, you will have done your part to help ensure your service is installed on time and to your satisfaction.
Successful service installation relies on you ensuring your site meets specific standards, described in this guide, before Lumen or an off-net provider can perform any installation work. The precise requirements for your project will be generated by a site survey either we or an off-net provider conduct. If any site improvements are required, it will benefit you to complete them as directed and as soon as possible.
To review the site-readiness guidelines, select the region where your service is being installed:
Typically, the first step is to install a wall-mount backboard or relay rack. Plan to allow at least two weeks to order, ship, and install the equipment.
The work required to install the necessary power and ground can be completed simultaneously with wall-mount backboard or relay-rack installation. You may elect to hire an electrician to perform this work. In general, allow two weeks from your customer commit date (CCD) to complete any stand-alone power and ground work.
Grounding options listed in order of preference are: building service ground, main electric box, building steel, and, lastly, a metallic water pipe which is in direct contact with the earth for 10’ or more and electrically continuous to the point where the protector ground wire is installed; a bond must be placed around any meters.
You must maintain a suitable environment for network equipment operation:
Environmental parameters | Suitable range |
Operating temperature | 0–50°C / 32–120°F |
Heat dissipation (BTU/hr) | 500 |
Humidity | 10–85% (non‑condensing) |
Cabling and cabling path can be completed simultaneously. Please allow approximately two weeks for completion. You may elect to hire an electrician to assist you. This work can be done concurrently with the wall-mount backboard/relay-rack, power, and ground installation.
When a telecom service is provided to a commercial building, it is typically delivered to the minimum point of entry (MPOE)/telecom room. This demarcation point or “demarc” is generally the point at which you become responsible for the on-premise cabling and wiring. Depending on the building, the extension from the demarc to your equipment may be a substantial distance; therefore, it is important to investigate options early.
Your contract will specify inside wiring responsibilities and indicate whether Lumen will provide inside wiring service for an agreed-upon fee or that you will retain responsibility for ensuring the inside wiring satisfies service requirements. Please check with your building management, if applicable, as there may be guidelines in place allowing only a specific or preferred vendor to complete the demarc extension work.
Note: For each new service, a new demarc extension might be required. Please make sure to confirm demarc extensions for each service that you have ordered. Also, you will need to specifically confirm the point to which you want the service extended when requesting the demarc extension to be installed.
Lumen smart demarcation is a network interface device (NID) deployed at customer sites to provide end‑to‑end connectivity fault management and enables optional performance assurance with end‑to‑end SLAs. Additional fees may apply.
Lumen deploys NIDs for all off‑net Ethernet access to MPLS/IPVPN, EVPL, VPLS, and DIA circuits in North America.
Review the NID site preparation guide
To facilitate installation of the smart-demarcation device, please ensure:
Additional equipment may be required based upon your service. Please refer to the applicable activation guide for details.
Use this checklist to help you get your site ready. If you have any questions about this checklist or site readiness in general, contact your customer care manager.
Power | |
My site has AC power with a three‑prong plug | |
My room has grounding available | |
My room has power available within 2m (~6’) of the area the Lumen equipment will be installed | |
I understand that power strips/extension cords cannot be used with Lumen equipment | |
Backboard | |
The equipment will be installed within 6m (20’) of the circuit termination | |
My room has a minimum of 1.2m x 2.4m (4’ x 8’) of backboard available, or available rack space. (If no, my room has wall space to mount a new backboard within the distance requirements.) | |
My equipment backboard is plywood and at least 19mm (¾”) thick | |
My equipment backboard can support at least 23kg (50lb) | |
Environmental | |
My room is broom clean | |
My room maintains a temperature range of between 0–50°C (32–120°F) | |
My room has a clear and safe access path to the area where the Lumen equipment will be installed | |
Inside Wiring | |
My inside wiring is complete | |
I would like Lumen to complete inside wiring (Contact your customer care manager for details) |