This is a fresh install of Oracle Linux and I can't connect with it.
My NetworkManager says I am connected but FireFox doesn't care?
And I can't ping either.

Are you trying to connect via wireless or wired connection?

First inspect if the ethernet connection is ok. By on either host ping the other one.
if you get an repley from the other one its ok.

Connected to what? What is your IP addess? (ip addr show)

Can on one Google.Com? If no, what error message do you get?
Can you ping 8.8.8.8? If no, same as above - what message output.
Can you ping your gateway?

"Oracle Linux" is a rebuild of RedHat
it is specifically optimized to run the Oracle Database ( a commercial DB for LARGE corporations )
and it is customized to run that DB very well and fast

if this is a laptop you installed it to the operating system was NEVER designed for use on laptops

Oracle Linux is a server class OS and as such really has no need for wireless support

so

what is the hardware ?
and how are you trying to connect to the net ?

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Wired works but this is a laptop :\
It doesn't appear to show any wireless connections.

I am using it to try and install Oracle Database because I couldn't get it to work on a Debian based distro.

Oracle Linux should still support wireless. Since it's just a RH downstream, I can't imagine them disabling NetworkManager's capabilities in this regard...

Well, if you end up not being able to get it to work, you should be able to get CentOS to work as long as you apply the correct RedHat and Oracle-suggested tunings.

Where can I find the RedHat and Oracle suggested tunings for CentOS? Specifically for Oracle Database and Oracle Java, I want to get Oracle Certified.

I already hate Oracle Linux because I didn't register for the updates during the install yet and CentOS is free so I would much prefer an updated system for free.

Also how do I install stuff?
I can't find the Oracle Software Center, apt-get, aptitude or synaptic.
I'm guessing that this is one of those leet distros where we have to browse through the SEO for tarballs and install them manually?

You won't find Red Hat making tuning recommendations for CentOS. Just make the same adjustments mentioned in the Red Hat docs to your CentOS installation. I think there is also a public Oracle tuning guide that has essentially the same recommendations (they developed the tunings together some time ago).

I can't speak about how well CentOS matches up to OEL for training purposes, though. Both CentOS and OEL are derivatives of the Red Hat flavor. With very few exceptions, OEL is essentially Red Hat bits with changed copyright info.

While RHEL / CentOS / SL / OEL can run on laptops NOT ALL LAPTOP HARDWARE IS SUPPORTED

common problems on laptops are
no mousepad
no sound
no GPU ( bad graphics )
no wireless

how are you connecting to the wireless ?
a built in card?
a usb dongle?
what?

I think I will stick with Oracle for now, until I run into problems with an outdated system. I couldn't find the tunings for CentOS, I don't know what a tuning is.

Mousepad, audio and graphics works.
I don't know what a dongle is so I guess I have just a built in card?
Wait, I just noticed that when I flick the switch for wifi, on and off, a bluetooth thing pops up next to the NetworkManager Applet 0.8.1, it's call Bluetooth Properties 2.28.6.
It was there the whole time, I just didn't recognize the icon.

https://access.redhat.com/articles/395013

https://access.redhat.com/site/articles/479093

NOTE: These are *not* for CentOS...it's just the CentOS is a rough equivalent of RHEL, and therefore the tunings still apply (IOW: do the very same things to CentOS that you would to RHEL).

Here is the equivalent doc from Oracle: http://docs.oracle.com/cd/E24290_01/...e.htm#CACEBJBG

A "tuning" is a kernel, filesystem, or memory setting used to better tune your database instance and OS for performance. Oracle is a bugger, and has specific requirements, otherwise the performance hit can be EXTREME.

My customers use Oracle a lot, and a stock (untuned) instance of RHEL isn't honestly worth a shit when Oracle is running on it.