Ultra Broadband Expert Setup and Installation

How Ultra installation works

Expert Setup is included with BT Ultra Broadband, and unlike on the other plans it is a central part of the installation. BT's Ultra briefing sets out the sequence:

1. We check and qualify the order. We confirm the Ultra tiers at your address and run through the points on this page, especially static IPs, existing firewalls and the building layout.
2. You pick a date for the line. Openreach installs the new line, or converts your existing one, on the agreed date.
3. You pick a slot for Expert Setup. BT schedules the 150-minute engineer visit for two or more days after the broadband installation or switchover, typically about two days later.
4. The equipment arrives. Depending on your speed tier, that is a Meraki security appliance, one Meraki access point, and either a separate Meraki cellular gateway or a Smart Hub acting as the modem. See speeds and equipment by tier.
5. Openreach visits. The line is installed or converted.
6. The BT engineer visits. The engineer fits the access points, sets up the networks and moves your main devices across.
7. Afterwards, BT handles changes. Changes to the network or security settings are requested through BT's online form, linked from BT's help pages.

BT's Expert Setup is available in mainland UK only. For Expert Setup on the other BT plans, see BT Expert Setup; for line installation in general, see installation.

How long it takes from order to live

There are two clocks: the line and the Expert Setup visit.

These are BT's typical timings, not commitments, and the dates for your address are confirmed when the order is placed. Our installation guide and BT Business Full Fibre page explain the Full Fibre install stages in more detail. If you are moving into new premises, our moving premises guide covers the timing.

What the Expert Setup engineer does

According to BT's briefing, during the 150-minute visit the engineer will:

• Install the Wi-Fi access points you need, fitting up to two more from van stock alongside the one delivered with the kit
• Update the network name and password for the business Wi-Fi
• Set up guest Wi-Fi, separate from the business network
• Help migrate and test up to 10 computers on the new network
• Help migrate and test up to 2 printers or copiers
• Help migrate BT-provided IP phones, such as BT Cloud Voice and Cloud Voice Express handsets

If you have more computers or printers than that, extra time can be added to the appointment in 30-minute blocks for an additional charge, confirmed at quote. BT's briefing also says that if the engineer cannot finish within the appointment, the job is marked as incomplete, the engineer explains why, and the work is rebooked for another visit.

The extra access points come from the engineer's vehicle, which is why the Expert Setup visit is still needed even if your own IT provider is helping.

What the engineer does not move

The engineer is there for the network, computers, printers and BT phones. BT's briefing is clear that migrating other systems is the responsibility of the customer or their own suppliers, including:

• CCTV cameras and recorders
• Retail till and EPOS systems
• Building and door access control
• Network attached storage (NAS)
• Personal devices such as staff's own phones and tablets

If you use an IT provider, BT asks that their work is scheduled to coincide with the Expert Setup appointment, so both are on site together. It is also worth checking with the suppliers of each system above whether they rely on a fixed IP address, because Ultra does not support static IPs; see static IP addresses.

Moving from copper or FTTC to Standard Fibre 76

This is the one part of an Ultra installation that needs careful planning. When a line is converted from copper broadband or older fibre-to-the-cabinet broadband to Standard Fibre 76, BT says Openreach reuses the existing copper pair.

That can mean your old service stops working at the Openreach visit, before the BT engineer arrives, typically two days later. Ways to handle the gap:

• Self-install the Meraki kit. BT says each equipment bundle can be installed by the customer, using the step-by-step guides on BT's help pages, so you have a connection from the broadband installation date. The engineer then completes the rest at the Expert Setup visit.
• Plan the two days. Arrange mobile hotspots or home working for those days, and tell staff in advance.
• Think about calls. If your phones run over the broadband, tell us at order so we can talk through how calls are handled while the line is being converted.

BT's briefing flags this gap for conversions to Standard Fibre 76. If you are moving to Full Fibre, ask us how your current service is handled on the day, because it depends on your existing line. Our SOGEA and FTTC pages explain the access types.

Preparing your site

BT's briefing lists the set-up actions it expects from the customer. Building on those, prepare the following before the visits:

• Someone on site for both appointments who can make decisions and has the passwords for computers, printers and any admin accounts
• A place for the security appliance with power, near where the line enters the building
• Wall positions for the access points: BT's engineers carry a standard step ladder and fix access points to walls, so flag high ceilings, warehouses and workshops at the quote stage
• A list of devices to move: which computers, which printers or copiers, and which BT IP phones
• Your existing equipment: any current firewall or router that the Meraki appliance will replace, and anything plugged into it
• Network names and passwords you want for staff and guests
• Your IT provider's availability, if they are helping with systems the engineer does not move

If you know you will not be able to do the customer set-up steps yourself, BT's briefing says the engineer's time on site can be extended in half-hour increments when you order.

After installation

Once Ultra is live, the support model is different from the Smart Hub plans:

• Faults are reported to BT and handled under Prompt Care, included with Ultra: faults reported before 9pm Monday to Saturday are targeted for a fix by the end of the next working day.
• Changes to firewall rules, content filtering, Wi-Fi or other settings are requested from BT using its online configuration change form.
• Visibility comes from the Meraki cloud dashboard; see Ultra Broadband security.
• Help guides on BT's support pages cover the Meraki equipment, including where to find your network name and password.

Ultra is not a proactively monitored service, so if something looks wrong, report it rather than waiting to be contacted. Our support guide explains how BT's fault process works.

Planning your Ultra installation with us

We help you book the Openreach and Expert Setup appointments in a sensible order, flag a Standard Fibre conversion gap before it happens, work out whether you need extra engineer time, and talk through which systems your own suppliers need to move. We place the order and help with questions along the way.

Contact us to plan an Ultra installation.