Connecting
There are three ways to connect to the Internet:
• wireless access point (WiFi hotspot);
• “School Server” mesh network; or
• “simple” mesh network, which lets you collaborate directly with other XOs.
You make your connection from the Neighborhood view. Your current connection status is shown on the Home view.
(The XO was designed for wireless access because in the developing
world, wireless is actually the fastest, most reliable, and least
expensive way to connect.)
Step 1: Go to the Neighborhood view
Go to the Neighborhood view to connect to an access point. The
Neighborhood view is accessed by pressing the round key with eight
dots, found in the upper-left corner of the keyboard.
Step 2: Choose an access point
Networks (access points) are represented by circles on the Neighborhood view. Networks can be identified by hovering over the circles: an access point is identified by its name (ESSID); a mesh-portal point is identified by its channel number (1, 6, or 11). You can also search for an access point by name in the search bar at the top of the page.
Signal strength is indicated by the fill-level of the circle. The
color of the circle is based upon the name of the access point.
Networks that are locked are identified by a badge.
Step 3: Activate a connection
To activate your network connection, click once inside the circle that corresponds to your chosen access point. (To “click”, press once on the left-hand touchpad button—the button with the × symbol at the front of the touchpad.) While the XO is trying to establish the connection, the inside of the circle will blink. Once the connection is established, the outside of the circle will turn white. If for some reason the connection failed, the circle will stop blinking. Sometimes it is necessary to try several times before the connection is established.
If the access point requires a key, you will be prompted. Note that different types of access points require different types of keys: be sure to select the correct type from the pull-down menu that is presented. Some access points (such as the Apple Extreme®) will only work with a hexadecimal value. If you have a password or passphrase, go to Hex Converter to get the hex key. Also, with the Apple Extreme you need to set “shared key”. Most other access points prefer the “open key” setting when using WEP.
Details about WPA-enabled WiFi access points is found in the wiki.
Step 4: Checking the connection
Go to the Home View—by using the key with one circle found in the
upper-left corner of the keyboard—to check your connection. By hovering
over the circle icon, you will find details about your connection
status.
If you don't specify a network, the XO will attempt to join a simple mesh network, enabling you to collaborate with other XOs, but not access the Internet.
For more information about connecting...
For more information about connecting, please see the Support page in our wiki.
You connect to the Internet from the Neighborhood view.
Access points are represented by circles. The fill level indicates signal strength.
Access points that require keys have a “locked” badge.
The name of the access point is displayed when you hover over it.
You connect by “clicking” in the center of the circle. The center of
the circle will blink while the laptop is trying to connect.
Once you are connected, the rim of the circle turns white. (If the
attempt to connect fails, the circle will stop blinking, but the rim
will not turn white. Try again—it sometimes takes 2–3 tries to connect.)
You will be prompted if the access point requires a key.
For more information about connecting, please see the Support page in our wiki.