Support FAQ/Internet, Connectivity, Email, Chat
Internet, Connectivity, Email, Chat
How can I access the Internet?
Our Connectivity Quick Start Guide will answer questions about Internet Connectivity.
The XO Manual also has a helpful book chapter.
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; use 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?
To disable wireless when flying, use the Terminal Activity command Sugar-Control-Panel. For details, see Airplane mode.
At the moment, an XO laptop cannot be on both the Internet and on the mesh network at the same time with a default laptop configuration. This ability will hopefully be re-enabled by default in the future; until then, School Servers can server as Mesh Portals, and further details can be found on the Mesh Network Details page.
What exactly is a mesh network?
A mesh network allows nearby XO laptops to talk to one another directly (wirelessly) without the need for a traditional Internet Service Provider.
This feature makes very rural deployments (say, Nigeria) practical; there isn't much need for dedicated network hardware. The laptops do the heavy lifting, rather than the traditional hierarchical network of hubs/switches/routers.
Try the mesh demo here, to see how a mesh can connect to the Internet.
Is there an email program?
You can use the Gmail activity to access your email, if you have a @gmail.com account; or you can simply use Browse to access most any web-based email program.
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.