9.08.2007

Friendly Neighborhood Computer Goddess - part 2

So here comes the installation saga...
I leave the cable company office with my DVR and modem to hook up at home... alone.
I stop at the neighborhood electronics store to pick up the router that I need to fulfill my wireless needs. As I'm in the store, of course there is no one to be found to ask any questions to... and my phone rings so I start talking to Leah and check out of the store with said router in hand. Head home. G is home so we decide to hook up the DVR first so that he could at least watch TV while I struggle with the modem. Ok, fine. Directions are fairly simple but where we will put it. I think we spent more time rearranging electronic devices than hooking up the damn thing. We finally get all the right cables in the right spots and call the cable company to send the signal so we can have CABLE. It was super confusing on the phone because of course they can't find my account and the guy can't freaking spell STEFANIA. After about 20 some odd minutes on the phone DVR is connected.
GREAT.
I head directly to the computer becuase I just want to get it all over with but we are also STARVED as it is dinner time. So I try for about 20 minutes to do both at once. Put the modem disc into the computer and that seemed to work just fine. Put the router disc into the computer and it is asking me to hook the router to the computer. My first thought is that, hmmm this can't be right. I assumed that the router and the modem could essentially be hooked up to each other in a completely different location than the computer because a) I work mainly on a laptop and b)there is no cable hookup (or phone line for that matter) that is even remotely near the computer. So I think... hmmm maybe I can hook up this up through the laptop (that is MAC, by the way) and of course none of the installation discs work on.
At this point I'm super annoyed that this isn't working and much harder than the cable company claimed it to be.
I call tech support. I get a rep and the first thing I tell him is that he is probably gonna hate that he got me as a caller!
First things first he can't find my account (this sounds vaguely familiar). Then I try to tell him what my deal is and he says (literally word for word), "oh boy, you are not gonna like what I have to say. this tech support does not support routers or networks you are gonna have to pay for that kinda of support, can I transfer you to sales?"
WHAT! OH MY FREAKING ... YOU HAVE GOT TO BE KIDDING ME. ALL THE CABLE COMMERCIALS TALK ABOUT 24/7 TECH SUPPORT AND NOW YOU CAN'T HELP ME!!! OF COURSE.
I calmly ask him to at least try to steer me in the right direction and at least tell me if I'm barking up the right tree. He very nicely agrees and we realize that I bought the wrong router. OF COURSE!!! I hang up, pack my bags and head back to the store. Get there and realize that they close in about 13 minutes so I better make it SNAPPY! I get behind the LONGEST TRANSACTION IN THE HISTORY OF THE STORE. I SWEAR THE GUY ASKED FOR THEIR BLOOD TYPE. I start to walk around the store to locate the correct router and a very nice guy comes and asks me if I need help and I ask him all the questions that tech support DIDN'T SUPPORT, FREE!
As I suspected I was on the right track with the wrong equipment and I grabbed the right one. I pay, leave, head home determined to get this done.
Head to the computer and insert the correct router disc into the computer and it asks for... ready for this one... an internet connection. OMG... AT THIS POINT I THINK THAT THE UNIVERSE IS PLAYING TRICKS ON ME. No wonder G leaves this all to me because he lasted oh about as long as it took the guy to not be able to find my account when we were hooking up the DVR.
I head upstairs (where we want to hook the modem and router up), start ripping open packages, splitting cable wires, hooking lines in where they fit... being a total crazy woman. I press power, all the lights light up and it looks like we are in business. I turn around to the laptop hit internet and BAM it hooks up.
I start running around the house so proud and that is when my husband names me computer goddess of the house.
I decide to install the cable internet cd get about half way through it when it asks for a username and password that I got when I bought the service... YEAH RIGHT!
It's been 3 or 4 days and I haven't gone back.
That's my story and I'm sticking to it!
Ciao
S

PS. I have a really great picture to go along with this post but blogger has a bugger. I'll show it to you next time.

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