Broadband Applications & Construction Manual - Public - CommScope

Bonding the NIU
Bonding the NIU is similar to bonding a standard coax installation (see Section 7 - Attaching to the ground
block). You should attach the NIU to the wall as closely as possible to the electrical meter. The bonding wire is
attached to a point within the NIU enclosure. Specific bonding points will vary with each make of NIU, so please
consult the manufacturer’s instructions. In all cases, the bonding wire should be as straight as possible and run
horizontally to the attachment point at the meter.
The preferred bonding method is to attach the NIU’s bond to the electrical meter ground wire with a wire not less
than 14 AWG in size. For recommendations regarding ground wires sizes, please refer to the National Electric
Code (NEC 820-40) or your local building code.
If bonding the NIU to the meter is not possible, you may bond to an
exterior metal cold water pipe running into the earth. As a last resort,
you may drive an 8’ ground rod into the earth and attach the bonding
wire to that, but you will need to attach all of the grounds of the residence
to that rod.
Connectorize the Cable and Attach it to the NIU
Once the ground is attached, cut the coax so that you have a sufficient
amount to comfortably reach the connection within the NIU plus about
another 1’ (30 cm), similar to the pedestal attachment (see page 6.4).
Connectorize the cable (see page 9.9) and attach it to the NIU. If the
cable is entering from above, form a small drip loop below the connection
of the cable and the NIU. This loop will be useful if you have to
reconnectorize the cable in the future.
Attaching to the Ground Block per NEC 830 8.2
Connecting to the Buried Drop