Small business: use your own router

Google Fiber service includes a Network Box, which connects to the Fiber Jack installed in your location and acts as a router for your network. If you are a small business customer and you need features the Network Box does not offer, you can use your own router with Fiber service. If you are a residential customer, you must use the provided Network Box for service.

Do you need to use your own router?

If you choose to add multiple static IPs to your Google Fiber service, you must use your own router. If you have zero or one static IP, you can choose to use your own router if you want features that are not available with the Network Box.  (Read an overview of Network Box features). The installation specialist who installs your Google Fiber service will make sure your Fiber Jack is working and Google Fiber service is being delivered to your location, but will not be able to install and set up the router you use. Check with your IT expert to select and set up a router for your service.

If you use your own router, we can't provide the same support as we can if you're using the Google Fiber Network Box. Specifically, if you use your own router, we only support the Google Fiber connection up to the point where it enters your building and reaches the Fiber Jack. We can't provide support with connecting, setting up, and maintaining your own router.

We do ask that you retain possession of our Network Box in case we need to troubleshoot your system.

Choose a router

If you decide to use your own router, make sure the router you choose supports basic features including connecting to the Internet at gigabit speeds, security, Wi-Fi networking, as well as any additional features you want. You should consult with your IT expert when deciding which router to choose.

Following is a list of features you should look for in a router:

Feature	Minimum requirements	Preferred specifications
Static IP support	Support for 1 or multiple static IPs, depending on which Google Fiber service option you choose
Copper Ethernet WAN	10/100 megabit (10/100baseT) Ethernet WAN port	Gigabit (1000baseT) Ethernet WAN port
DHCP WAN addressing	IPv4 WAN IP address as assigned by Google Fiber	IPv4/IPv6 WAN IP address as assigned by Google Fiber
LAN to WAN routing	Forwarding and Network Address Translation(NAT) of private LAN addresses to public WAN addresses	multiple static IPs: NAT of private LAN address to Public WAN, and static routing of a secondary public subnet on the LAN side of the router 1 static IP: port forwarding or DMZ mode LAN to WAN throughput: at least 800 Mbps
LAN connectivity	10/100baseT Ethernet LAN ports to provide PC connectivity	1000baseT Ethernet LAN ports

In addition to these basic features, there are optional features you should consider in your router:

Feature	Description
Wireless Connectivity	Your router needs this feature if you want to enable devices to connect via Wi-Fi. Your router should support at least 802.11n and preferably 802.11ac as well. Wi-Fi speeds depend on many factors, including distance from the router and interference from other wireless devices. Even with the fastest router, Wi-Fi speeds are slower than wired speeds.
Firewall	Firewall software in the router helps protect your network from attack.
Advanced Routing	This feature forwards traffic from the WAN to the hosts on the LAN side of the network that are configured with static IP addresses. This feature is especially useful if you have multiple static IPs.

If you have static IP addresses as part of your Fiber service and then change to a different router, your static IP addresses will still be the same with the new router.

Set up your own router

To set up your network, connect a gigabit-capable (1000BaseT) Ethernet port on your router to your Fiber Jack. You can test your connection to be sure your Fiber Jack is performing as expected by connecting a computer directly to the Fiber Jack and running a speed test.

When you use your own router, you must request a dynamic WAN address via DHCP. Learn more about static IP addresses.

• DHCPv4: You receive the WAN IPv4 address via DHCP. This address will not change. The static IP allocations are tied to your account and physical address. They will remain the same unless you modify your service or move locations. Despite the fact that you have a static IP, you still must configure your 3rd party router to use DHCP.
   
• DHCPv6 (optional): Google Fiber supports and encourages you to use IPv6. When you enable DHCPv6 on the WAN interface, we delegate you a /56 prefix of public addresses for use on your LAN.

If your current network uses Network Address Translation / Port Translation (NAT/NAPT) for LAN hosts to reach the internet, you can still use this feature with static IPs and your own router. Most routers enable you to use both public LAN addresses for externally accessible hosts and private addresses with NAT for clients.

Security considerations

When you set up your own router, we strongly recommend you consult with your IT expert to ensure your network is adequately secured from attack and unwanted intrusion. Google Fiber can't be responsible for security issues caused by inadequate security settings on your router or in your network setup.