Connect a District Chromebook to District Wireless
This article covers the basics of getting a District Chromebook onto the most appropriate of the available District wireless networks. For connecting a personal Chromebook, see Connect a Personal Chromebook to District Wireless.
Connecting to KPBSD-ManagedDevices
District Chromebooks should be connected to the KPBSD-ManagedDevices network. This should be as simple as choosing that network from the list of available wireless networks in the Settings panel, under the Network selector.
If you are challenged for a password for KPBSD-ManagedDevices when you try to connect, it means that for some reason the configuration profile that contains the connect information is either expired, corrupted, or missing. In this case, we can use another network temporarily, to get the device back onto the preferred network.
Getting back on KPBSD-ManagedDevices
Connect to KPBSD-Guest
The KPBSD-Guest network should work for this little do-si-do task. Once connected to the guest network and authenticated for general browsing, the Chromebook should immediately "check in" with our device management server, which will push down the credentials for the preferred KPBSD-ManagedDevices network in the form of a "configuration profile". This process can happen in as little as a minute, but depending on the school's network speeds and load, might take longer. In general, you can think of giving the device 5-10 minutes of being connected to the guest network, and then trying to confirm success.
To connect to KPBSD-Guest, just select that network name from the available networks list as described above. When you do, you should be guided into the "captive portal" to authenticate for general browsing:
(NOTE: it's possible that you may get a certificate warning about navigating to wireless.kpbsd.k12.ak.us. This happens because we use a self-signed certificate; in this event, go to the Advanced options and click the link to "proceed anyway". There's nothing unsafe about wireless.kpbsd.k12.ak.us. :-)
Once landed at the captive portal, click the Agree button and then provide credentials for general browsing.
Just to be clear, you can provide your own E-number or student number credentials, just like you would use to log in to Windows. You don't have to use a guest account.
Once connected to KPBSD-Guest and authorized for general browsing at the captive portal, the Chromebook should now be able to do its "check-in", and administratively receive the appropriate connection profile for the KPBSD-ManagedDevices network.
Confirm KPBSD-ManagedDevices
To confirm that our little do-si-do worked as intended, wait about 5-10 minutes and try again to connect to KPBSD-ManagedDevices as illustrated above. (It may connect automatically, judging KPBSD-ManagedDevices to be a "preferred" network over KPBSD-Guest.) If that continues to fail, even after giving it half an hour on the guest network, and after fully restarting the Chromebook (i.e., actually Restart, not just clam the lid or log out), please contact the Helpdesk.
Forget KPBSD-Guest
Once your device again has a healthy connection to KPBSD-ManagedDevices, you can best avoid confusion and potential problems by affirmatively "forgetting" other wireless networks you don't use. There are a few different ways to get to the right place to forget a network on a Chromebook, but this sequence may be the best balance between reliable function from anywhere, and the fewest number of clicks. :-)
Start by clicking the main Settings cog in the utility panel at lower screen right, which launches you into the Chromebook's Settings app. Then type "wi-fi" into the search bar, which takes you to the list of available networks. Find the KPBSD-Guest network in the list and click the "more information" icon on to its right. This puts you at the details for that network, which is where the Forget button is.
Once you Forget a network, of course, you'll have to re-join it to use it again.
Here, what we want to happen is that once you forget KPBSD-Guest, your Chromebook should immediately (and always) try to connect to its most preferred network, which should be KPBSD-ManagedDevices. If you see this happen, you're exactly where you want to be. If you still find yourself stuck here, by all means contact the Helpdesk.