There are a few steps you can take to help speed up your home internet.

• Place your wireless router in a central location in your home. Although it's nice to keep the wireless router in the basement or tucked in a corner out of sight, this will affect your home internet speeds.

  • Advanced users should connect devices to the routers 5 Ghz network (if available).

• Reboot your wireless router. Unplug the router for 30 seconds and plug it back in. If you have not rebooted the router in a while, this will help clean the internal memory.

  • Advanced users should verify the router is running the latest firmware version.

• If you are renting your internet modem, contact your internet service provider and verify you own the most recent model.

• Add wireless range extenders to cover dead spots.

• Avoid streaming video and music on other devices (including smart devices) while students are completing schoolwork. Streaming and gaming use a lot of bandwidth. Limit others from those activities while students are learning.

• Check your internet speed with https://www.speedtest.net/ Most household internet is 100 Mbps or above. If you are less than 50 mbs, limit internet activity on other devices.

• Contact your internet service provider for more assistance.

Before bringing in your Chromebook for repair, here are some common problems and simple solutions.

• If your Chromebook will not charge.

  • Plug the charger into a different outlet or power strip.

  • Make sure the cables are securely attached to the charger.

  • If the Chromebook will still not charge, email helpdesk@whsd1.org.

• My Chromebook is charged but will not power on.

  • Press and hold the power button for up to 30 seconds. The Chromebook should reboot.

  • If the above step does not work, try the following:

    • Press and hold the esc, refresh (looks like an arrow going in a circle) and the power button. Press and hold for up to 5 minutes. When an error message appears about a missing or damaged ChromeOS, let go of all buttons and power off and on the Chromebook.

  • If the Chromebook will still not power on, email helpdesk@whsd1.org.

• My Chromebook is really slow.

  • Close all open tabs in Chrome. Only the Google Meet tab should be open when using Google Meet.

  • Turn off background effects in Google Meet.

  • Press and hold the power button to shutdown the Chromebook.

  • Wait 10 seconds and then press the power button again to power on the Chromebook.

  • Verify you are located near your home wireless router.

• I dropped my Chromebook and now the screen is cracked!

  • Email helpdesk@whsd1.org with your students name and Chromebook ID.

• Keep your Chromebook in the issued case! The case will help prevent damage to the Chromebook.

• Never close the lid when something is on the keyboard. This will crack the screen.

• Do not eat while using the Chromebook. Crumbs and sticky foods will jam the keys and track pad.

• Do not spill liquids on the Chromebook.

• Do not drop the Chromebook. Place the Chromebook on a table when using it. Do not balance the Chromebook on an armrest or on your lap.

• Do not stack items on the Chromebook case.

• Do not leave the Chromebook outside or in a car. Keep the Chromebook secure inside your house.

• Clean the Chromebook with a water moistened paper towel. Do not use cleaning solutions on the Chromebook as they will remove the letters on the keyboard or will damage the screen.

There are also several resources for you in the area. McDonalds and other chain restaurants continue to offer free Wi-Fi that can be accessed from the parking lot.

Click here for a brief guide that explains how to record your first video.

Use the Google Meet link inside your Google Classroom to prevent students from joining the Meet later.

• Click here for a tutorial on how to setup a Meet inside your Google Classroom.

WHSD1 uses Google Classroom as our Learning Management System (LMS). It is easy to use and available to all students in the District.

• Classroom 101 - Creating a Classroom, adding students, and joining a classroom as a student.

• Creating Content for Google Classroom - A help sheet for staff on adding assignments, quizzes, and content to your Classroom.

Scan a document directions - Scan and share documents using your Android or iPhone quickly and easily!

Here is a handy how-to guide that will walk you through how to share a video using Google Drive.