Technology Assistance

The Emergency Broadband Benefit will provide a discount of up to $50 per month towards broadband service for eligible households and up to $75 per month for households on qualifying Tribal lands. Eligible households can also receive a one-time discount of up to $100 to purchase a laptop, desktop computer, or tablet from participating providers if they contribute more than $10 and less than $50 toward the purchase price.

The Emergency Broadband Benefit is limited to one monthly service discount and one device discount per household.

For more information, visit the FCC.gov website.

Internet Connectivity Assistance For Families

AT&T 

Spectrum Internet Assist

Xfinity

All students in grades K-12 are strongly encouraged to test logging into their PSD account before the start of school by going to https://accounts.google.com and entering their username and password.

Starting September 7, 2021, all students needing to know their password should consult their teacher. 

PSD students are not able to change their account password. Any requests to change your password must be submitted to the Oakland Schools Service Desk as a ticket by your school principal.

The Service Desk will resume regular business hours beginning September 7, 2021, 7 a.m. – 6 p.m. Please be aware we will only be providing remote phone support from 5–6 p.m. and there will be no Service Desk technician onsite during that time. 

Call the Oakland Schools Service Desk at 248-209-2060 to speak to a representative.

PSD will provide onsite technical support at the Administrative Building (47200 Woodward Ave., Pontiac, MI 48342) on regular Wednesdays from 7am-12pm and 1pm-6m while Virtual or Hybrid school is in session.

Families without home internet access may request a district-provided hotspot by completing the MCD Acceptance Form. This device is intended for those who do not have any access to the internet and are loaned to families on a first-come, first-serve basis due to limited availability (one hotspot per family).

Although the Oakland Schools Service Desk and your Pontiac Technology Department cannot support personal WiFi, here is some info that may be useful. 

Basic Home Internet Troubleshooting

2.4 GHZ VS. 5 GHZ 

As you may have noticed, some cable companies have two separate Wi-Fi networks coming from your 1 router. 5GHz provides faster Wi-Fi speeds at a shorter distance. 2.4GHz offers coverage for farther distances but may perform at slower speeds. If you are far away from your router, it may be best to choose 2.4GHz, but it is important to experiment with the two to see which one functions best. 

REBOOT YOUR CHROMEBOOK, PC, OR MAC

Similar to the on-campus computers, it is important that you restart them at least once a week.

IF YOU ARE ON A CHROMEBOOK:

On the lower right, click the clock, and at the top of that pop-up menu, you can click the power button. It is recommended you formally turn your Chromebook off once a week. A lot of people close the lid then open it the next day thinking it fully turned off, and that is not true.

IF YOU ARE ON A PC (WINDOWS 10):

On the lower left of the screen, click the Windows button, and then click the power symbol. Once you click that, you can click “Restart”.

IF YOU ARE ON A MAC:

Click the Apple logo on the upper left of your screen, then click restart. You then can choose if you’d like your Mac to reopen the windows when you log back in. If your computer is running slow, then I recommend unselecting this option and starting fresh.

HOW TO CHECK WI-FI CONNECTION

If you are on a Chromebook:

1. At the bottom right, select the Wi-Fi network icon.
   • • Note: If you see your Wi-Fi network name and signal strength, your Chromebook is already connected to Wi-Fi.

2. Turn on Wi-Fi. 
3. Your Chromebook will automatically look for available networks and show them to you in a list.
4. Select the network you would like to connect to. You may be asked to type the password associated with that network. 

IF YOU ARE ON A PC (WINDOWS 10):

1. On the lower left of the screen, click the Windows button to access the Start Menu.
2. Type in the search box “network and sharing center.” Select the relevant result.
3. A Status screen will appear.
4. From this screen you will be able to:

• View what network you are connected to
• Show other available networks
• Troubleshoot potential problems

IF YOU ARE ON A MAC:

1.    Click the Apple logo on the upper left of your screen, choose System Preferences.

2.    Click Network in the System Preferences window.

3.    Select Wi-Fi in the list of available network connections.

• Note: Check the option to "Show Wi-Fi status in the menu bar."

HOW TO REBOOT WI-FI, ROUTER, ACCESS POINT, GATEWAY

1. Unplug the power cord from the back of your gateway and/or modem.

• If you have an internal battery backup, remove it.
• DSL service, also unplug your telephone cord from your modem or gateway.

2. Wait 1 minute.
3. Put the internal battery back in, if applicable.
4. Plug the power cord back in. If you have DSL service, reconnect the telephone cord too.
5. Wait up to 10 minutes for the gateway or modem to reboot and your Broadband light is solid green.

 

Still Having a Problem:

REACH OUT TO YOUR INTERNET PROVIDER (CHARTER, XFINITY/COMCAST, AT&T, ETC.)

• See if you’ve reached your monthly data cap.
  • Many providers will throttle speed once an account has reached its monthly data limit.
    (Throttling speed, or Bandwidth throttling, is when an internet service provider (ISP) intentionally slows down or speeds up the internet service.) 
• Request provider to run tests on their end

KEEP ALL DEVICES UP TO DATE

• Most products now regularly send out updates for their equipment and software. Checking that equipment for upgrades could significantly increase performance.

CHECK YOUR HIGH-SPEED INTERNET CONNECTION

• Not all broadband connections are the same. To start, you’ll want to see how fast your existing connection is.
• Some tools: Geek Squad’s SpeedTest, SpeedTest or DSL Reports.

USE SECURITY BEST PRACTICES FOR NETWORK SETTINGS: 

• Keeping others off your network will increase the network resources available to you. A secure password that cannot be easily guessed is an effective means to do this.

UPGRADE YOUR ROUTER:  

• If you have an older router, it may not be able to handle the number of connected devices added, or the load being placed on it.
• Check with your internet provider first. They can usually run tests to see if your equipment is outdated.
• Your internet provider can recommend some models that will perform best with their service

Operating System (OS) Updates:

CHROMEBOOK OS UPDATE:

1. At the bottom right, select the time.
2. Select Settings.
3. At the bottom of the left panel, select “About Chrome OS.”
4. Under "Google Chrome OS," you'll find which version of the Chrome operating system your Chromebook is using.
5. Select “Check for Updates.” If your Chromebook finds a software update, it will start to download automatically.

WINDOWS OS UPDATE:

1. On the lower left of the screen, click the Windows button to access the Start Menu.
2. Go to Settings (gear icon).
3. Select the Update and Security icon.
4. Choose Windows Update tab in the sidebar (Circular arrows).
5. Select “Check for Updates.” If there is an available update, it will begin downloading automatically.

MAC OS UPDATE:

1. Click the Apple logo on the upper left of your screen, choose System Preferences.
2. Select “Software Update” to check for updates. If any updates are available, click the “Update Now” button to install them.

• When Software Update says that your Mac is up to date, the installed version of macOS and all of its apps are also up to date.

Here is helpful documentation on cleaning a device: How to Clean a Device.

Your teachers have additional resources that can be sent to families, such as logging into SeeSaw, Clever, etc. 

The Pontiac School District will continue with its 1:1 device program for the following students; PHS grade 12 and ITA grades 6-12. Students will be loaned a Chromebook.

Families are not required to take a District device but it is strongly recommended. If a family opts out, it is strongly encouraged that the student has a laptop, Chromebook, or iPad that can connect to the internet and digital tools (e.g. Google, Seesaw, and video conference tools). Students will be expected to bring their device fully charged to school, along with the charger each day.

State testing (MStep, WIDA, MiAccess, etc.) can only be taken on a PSD device. Even if a student does not check out a District device, one will be provided at their building during the state testing window.

 

• Use the device to support and participate in Pontiac School District learning opportunities.
• Bring the fully-charged device and its charger to and from school every day.
• Use and maintain the device in accordance with school policies and the student code of conduct.
• Report any problems with the device to the necessary staff or the Oakland Schools Service Desk (248-209-2060) as soon as possible.
• Devices will contain district-approved software and filtering tools; students should not tamper with, remove, or install any software

Families without home internet access may inquire about the availability of a district-provided hotspot to use during the school year. This device is intended for those who do not have any access to the internet.  Due to the very limited supply, we may not fulfil all requests. If your family needs a hotspot, please contact:

Oakland Schools Service Desk
Phone: 248-209-2060
Online Ticket submission/LiveChat: https://www.oakland.k12.mi.us/school-districts/technology-support/service-desk

Students who require specific technology related to an Individualized Educational Plan (IEP) will be contacted through the Special Education Department to discuss arrangements.