Make sure the Chromebook is up to date

While logged into the Chromebook

Click the clock and then click the "Settings" gear.

Click "About Chrome OS"

Click "Check for updates"

If the chromebook is already up to date, it will state that

• If there are updates available to be downloaded, it will begin to download it and show a percentage of the progress.

You can continue to use your chromebook as normal while the update downloads in the background. However, the update will consume bandwidth until it is done downloading. For those with slower internet speeds, it is recommended to do the update when school work is over.

The chromebook should now be running the latest version of Chrome OS available to it

This step is usually only applicable when a particular website is not working as it should. However, sometimes the problem is with the website and not the Chromebook.

The ad blocker uBlock Origin has been force-installed on all student Chromebooks. Its primary purpose is to remove advertisements from websites that can be intrusive and get in the way of the real content. It also helps save on bandwidth by not downloading the ads, and it frees up computer processing power by not having to process and display the ads. Since less processing power is used, it also increases the battery life of mobile devices.

Unfortunately, no ad blocker is perfect; some ads can still get through, and even worse, sometimes legitimate content is detected as an ad and is blocked.

How to disable uBlock Origin for a website domain.

• Be on the webpage you want to disable the ad blocker for

• Click the "uBlock Origin" extension. You may need to click the jigsaw puzzle piece to show all installed extensions.

• You should see a big blue power button and the website domain under the power button. Click the blue power button to turn off the adblocker for the displayed domain.

• The button should become an empty outline instead of being blue which means the ad blocker is off for that domain.

• You will typically need to refresh the web page for the ad blocker changes to take effect. Whenever turning the ad blocker on or off, it will display a refresh button for your convenience. The browser's own refresh button can be used as well.

Remove and Re-Add a student account.

This process will clear any data and user settings that could be causing a problem. Have the student do the following.

• Log out of the account to be taken to the Chromebook login screen

• Click the down arrow at the bottom right of the student's profile picture

• Click "Remove This User"

• The student signs in again using their Aspen Google username and password.

This process will completely reset all user and device settings, and clear all data and cache. If an issue still persists after this process is completed, the source of the issue is either a Chromebook hardware problem that needs to be fixed by Aspen's IT Department or there is a network connectivity issue which is not the fault of the Chromebook.

• Hold down Escape (Esc) nd the Refresh button (looks like an open circle with an arrow at one end) then press the power button. Release all 3 buttons. After a moment, you should be taken to the USB Recovery screen. If the normal login screen loads instead, try the 3-button combination again but hold down the combination for a little longer. ESC+"Refresh button"+"Power Button”

• At the USB Recovery Screen, press CTRL+D. The "Turn OS verification off screen" should appear

• Press Enter to turn off OS verification. The Chromebook should then reboot and load an error screen that says "OS Verification is OFF”

• Press the "space bar" and then "Enter" to turn OS verification back on

• The Chromebook will reboot into a "factory reset" state and will need to be connected to the wifi and enrolled back into Aspen's Google domain

  • Click Let's Go

  • Connect to your Wifi network

  • Accept the Terms of Service

  • The Chromebook should automatically re-enroll into the Aspen Google enterprise

  • Domain. Click Done to close the screen informing you that the chromebook was enrolled.

  • The Chromebook should now be at the normal login screen, ready for a student to use.

Reboot your network equipment. Technology problems can often be fixed by power cycling the equipment. This means unplugging the power cord(s) of your modem and wifi router, waiting about 30 seconds, and then plugging the power cords back in.

Contact your Internet Service Provider's (ISP) support: If your internet service is not providing the speed you should be getting, there could be a problem with your ISP's network in your area and/or a problem with the ISP's equipment in your home.

General considerations for home networks

Each person using the internet should have at least 1.5 to 5 megabits per second (Mbps) of bandwidth. However, 10-15 Mbps is better, and 25+ Mbps per person is best. You can use a speed test website to test your actual internet speed to the device running the test. Test your network when nobody is using it and also when it is under load. Sometimes, a speed test will be great when nothing else is really being used but slows down drastically when a few devices are transmitting data at the same time.

• Fast.com is Netflix's Internet speed test site

• Speakeasy speed test

• Speedtest.net

Please note that if you have a speed test result that is measured in Kilobits per second (Kbps), then your connection is probably too slow to support virtual distance learning. It takes 1000 Kbps to equal 1 Mbps.

A zoom meeting in Gallery view needs 1.5Mbps download and upload. See this page for more details on Zoom network requirements. Unfortunately, it is common for home internet connections to have a much slower upload speed compared to download. For example, Comcast has a plan that is 300 Mbps download, but only 15 Mbps upload. That usually doesn't matter with typical home internet usage, but video conference software such as Zoom needs enough available upload bandwidth to transmit the outgoing video/audio stream(s) reliably.

Wifi and internet quality in residential homes can vary in quality based on

• Subscribed and actual delivered internet speed

  • actual speed can vary throughout the day based on the demand of the main internet circuits that supply internet to your neighborhood

• Capacity and Quality of the home's network equipment

• Amount of devices connected to your home's wifi and how much data each of those devices are transmitting

• Distance between the Chromebook and Wifi router

  • The further the distance, the weaker the signal

• Obstructions between the Chromebook and Wifi router

  • The more obstructions, the weaker the signal

• Wireless signal noise from other wireless devices

• Your neighbors' Wifi network(s) and any of their other wireless devices

Obstructions to consider

• Lead paint

  • Older homes may have lead paint on the walls

• Brick, stone, plaster, concrete and other masonry

• Metal

• Water

  • Fish tanks, water heaters, and human bodies are made up of 60% water; plants also have quite a bit of water.

• Televisions, even when off, but especially when they are on.

Wireless signal noise sources

Anything that uses the same frequency ranges as Wifi (2.4 Ghz and/or 5 Ghz) adds to the overall wireless signal noise and can interfere with wifi data transmission.

• Any neighboring wifi networks can greatly interfere with your own wifi network, especially in medium or high density housing (condos, apartments)

• Wifi and Bluetooth devices

  • Computers, Smart TVs, Smart speakers, other "Smart" devices, wireless cameras, Bluetooth headphones, wireless mice and keyboards

• Microwave Ovens

  • Microwaves use the same 2.4 GHz frequency range that many wifi systems use. A microwave in use is incredibly detrimental to wifi signals, especially if the microwave is between the wifi router and the wifi device.

• Wireless land-line home phones

• Baby monitors

• Walkie Talkies

People often use the network equipment provided to them by their ISP (Comcast, AT&T, etc.). Unfortunately, that equipment's Wifi capabilities is typically of low quality. To have better home Wifi, a separate Wifi router with the capacity to support your home network needs should be purchased and installed. After installing a new wifi router, the wifi on the ISP equipment should be disabled to reduce wireless signal noise.

General home Wifi network tips

• Place your wifi router as centrally in the home as possible.

• Keep the wifi router as far away as possible from wireless noise (microwaves, your neighbor's wifi, etc.)

• Place the Wi-Fi router as high as possible, which should help reduce the number of obstructions between the Wi-Fi router and the Wi-Fi device.

• Turn off unused Wi-Fi devices or disable Wi-Fi on the devices to reduce load on your network.

• When possible, use ethernet network cables instead of wifi for network devices.

  • The fewer devices on your Wi-Fi, the better the Wi-Fi will perform.

  • Chromebooks do not have a network port built into them. However, a compatible USB-to-Network adapter can be used.

The latest Chromebook ChromeOS update has made available a microphone volume slider. If your teacher is having trouble hearing you, please make sure your microphone volume slider is turned up to at least 50%, and adjust it up or down from there.