Methods of securing an optical fiber within an optical fiber connector include applying heat to a front-end section of a ferrule through a heating sleeve. The heating sleeve at least partially surrounds the front-end section of the ferrule and heats a bonding agent that resides within the ferrule a securing temperature. The optical fiber is inserted into the optical fiber connector and through thebonding agent. The optical fiber is secured in the ferrule axial bore by the bonding agent when the bonding agent reaches the securing temperature.