You own a Chromebook or are considering getting one; you have been issued a Chromebook by your high school; or you are a staff member who has been issued a Chromebook by OTC. This article will go over some information about Chromebooks, how they work, and known issues and limitations of these devices when used on the OTC Network.
Introduction
There are some key differences between Chromebooks and desktop or laptop computers running the Windows or Apple operating systems. Chromebooks operate off ChromeOS, an operating system very similar to Android – more like a mobile phone than a classic computer.
With Chrome, you will log in using your Google Account. Examples of Google Accounts are what you log into Gmail or YouTube with. All OTC employees and students by default have a Google account associated with their OTC domain email address and password, in addition to any personal Google accounts they may already use.
Limitations
Chromebooks and ChromeOS are limited in what can be installed for use on them. Older Chromebooks have a limited selection of apps and it’s not possible to install new apps. These Chromebooks are generally only useful for what can be accessed through a web browser. Web Apps (applications accessible via a web browser) like Google Suite and Microsoft Web Apps can be used, along with access to things like YouTube and Gmail.
Newer Chromebooks also have the Google Play store app, which gives them expanded capability very similar to your mobile phone or tablet. Not all apps are compatible with Chromebooks, but those that aren’t won’t appear in recommendations or search results. If you’re looking for an app you can find for install on your mobile phone but it does not appear in search results on your Chromebook, it means that app is not compatible with the Chromebook.
Mobile versions of Microsoft Office apps are available in the Google Play store. Please note that these apps are similar to, but have differences between functionality of both the Web Apps and the full local program installs that are available for desktop and laptop PCs.
Many programs do not have apps available in the Google Play store which will open the types of file formats they work with; the PC software suite is required. In addition, there are types of content that can run in webpages that a Chromebook may not be able to run, such as certain embedded audio and video content that may be included in Canvas and other website platforms such as Pearson or McGraw-Hill.
For this reason, Chromebooks are not recommended for many programs of study, such as most Technical Education and Allied Health programs. Chromebooks are only sufficient for basic General Education classes where there will be limited paper writing, no extra software needed, and most of the content is accessed or filled in directly through Canvas. Since instructors can create their own courses of study, it is feasible that even then a student could encounter access issues with certain types of multimedia and interactive content. If you are uncertain, it is recommended to choose a Windows or Mac computer over a Chromebook.
Chromebooks Issued by Area High Schools
If you have a Chromebook issued by an area high school, please be advised these devices are managed by the high school IT department’s mobile device management software and locked down via Google Domain Services. That means the school’s IT department controls what the Chromebook can access at the cloud-level, which is independent of the network you’re connected to. If they have prevented access to video game websites, for instance, it will be the same whether you’re on otc-wifi or your local Starbuck’s guest wifi network.
For almost any issue relating to the configuration or content access of a high school Chromebook, you must contact the school’s IT department. OTC’s Help Desk will not be able to assist you. If they need to contact OTC for more information, they can reach the Help Desk at helpdesk@otc.edu or 417-447-7548.
Staff Chromebooks
OTC has a limited number of Chromebooks that can be checked out to staff members. There are a few things you need to know for using these devices.
Log into the Chromebook with your OTC Google Domain Services account. These will be your OTC email address and password.
You can access the R: Drive, Remote Desktop Connection, and other remote apps and services at https://remote.otc.edu. See our guide on remote access.
When on campus, please connect these devices to otc-wifi as they will not have otc-staff reservations. See connection instructions.
New to Chromebooks? Here’s a Getting Started Tutorial.
General Troubleshooting
Having an issue with your Chromebook? There are a couple of things to do before you check the Known Issues. Before trying anything else, make sure to:
Check for ChromeOS updates and install them (instructions). You will need a working internet connection to do this.
Restart the Chromebook from either the power icon in the actions menu or the physical power button on the keyboard.
Known Issues
"Bad Request" error accessing MyOTC
This happens most often on a Chromebook, but can also occur in Chrome browser on other OSes. To resolve:
Clear your cookies (instructions).
Close Chrome.
Reopen Chrome.
Try again.
Audio/Video Playback Failure Embedded in Webpages or Files
Chromebooks have limited audio/video compatibility. If the content is from a source you can communicate with, such as lesson content provided by your instructor in Canvas, please ask them to provide the media in a compatible format. Instructors who need help with this should refer to /wiki/spaces/OTCKB/pages/855310394.
Can’t Connect to otc-wifi
The Chromebook won’t connect when using your OTC username and password even though you can log into computers and MyOTC just fine.
Try the General Troubleshooting steps above first. Sometimes this issue is temporary.
If you have connected to otc-wifi before and can’t now, please forget the connection and try reconnecting (instructions).
Check the advanced network settings. This guide has extra settings such as what to put in for CA Certificate, EAP Method, Phase 2 Authentication, and more.