Support FAQ/Internet, Connectivity, Email, Chat
Internet, Connectivity, Email, Chat
How can I access the Internet?
The XO Laptop Manual has a helpful chapter:
When using Sugar, see Connecting to the Internet page on the Sugar Labs Wiki.
When using Gnome, click on the network icon on the top right of the screen and select your wireless network.
Our Wifi Troubleshooting Guide provides tips to connect to different access points, including a February 2014 fix for a bug that prevented XOs from using wireless, particularly with many XO-1s nearby.
For setting up a wireless network for XO laptops, see Wifi Connectivity.
I am on Google, but the browser then tells me "search failed"!
When the Browse activity is launched, it displays a page with a Google logo and a search box. This page is stored locally in the XO, and it does not indicate that the XO is connected to the Internet. Please check How can I access the Internet for how to connect to the Internet.
Can I use a wired Ethernet connection?
Yes, you can connect to a wired Internet connection by using a USB-to-Ethernet adapter.
Note: XO laptops were intentionally designed for children in developing nations where it is faster and less expensive to introduce wireless connections, rather than a traditional telecom infrastructure.
How do I disable wireless when flying?
Right-click over the XO icon in the centre of the screen, then select My Settings, then Network, and untick the Radio box.
Yes, XO laptops can share an internet connection using a wireless network if an access point or school server is available.
No, XO laptops cannot share an internet connection from one XO to the other.
What exactly is a mesh network?
An ad-hoc network is a feature of Sugar that allows nearby XO laptops to collaborate among themselves without needing internet service.
The mesh network was a feature of XO-1 laptops that did the same, but also allowed the laptop to act as a relay for other laptops. This feature made very small rural deployments practical. The idea was that the laptops do the heavy lifting, rather than the traditional hierarchy of equipment. It was never fully built, but the laptop to laptop sharing remains.
Is there an email program?
If you have a gmail account, you can use the Gmail activity to access your email.
For other e-mail accounts, you can use Browse to access web-based email programs.
Can I install Other software, like Flash, Java, AIM, MSN Messenger, or Skype?
Most Other software is not supported by OLPC. Some software is Free and Open Source Software and supported by its own User Community. Other software does not meet the OLPC standard of Software Freedom.
Still, there are community efforts to enable popular packages like Skype calling on the XO. Proceed at your own risk, making sure to set the sound device in the options menu, if you follow the unsupported installation instructions. For video with sound, follow the 'gstfakevideo' instructions at the bottom of that page.