Support FAQ/Internet, Connectivity, Email, Chat

Internet, Connectivity, Email, Chat

How can I access the Internet?

For information on accessing the internet, see our Connectivity Quick Start Guide.

The XO Laptop Manual also has a helpful chapter (click all 5 sections in the orange bar on the left, under "Network").

Our Wifi Troubleshooting Guide provides tips to connect to different access points, including an important February 2014 fix for a bug that impeded XOs from seeing access points (particularly in situations with many XO-1s nearby).

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.

Can XO laptops share an Internet connection?

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?

A mesh network allows nearby XO-1 laptops to talk to one another directly (wirelessly) without the need for a traditional Internet Service Provider.

This feature makes very small rural deployments practical. The idea is that the laptops do the heavy lifting, rather than the traditional hierarchical network of hubs/switches/routers.

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.