the internet gods are never smiling down on us...

for months i have been half-ass attempting to get a password set on our wireless account. it's one of those things i've been meaning to do, but never really had the patience to stick through until the job was done. 15 minutes on hold with the folks at time warner and it didn't bother me so much that people were stealing our internet.

today i felt like i had let the task fall on the wayside for far too long and it was time to do something about it. it was a late night at work, so by the time i got around to doing this, it was about 10:45. i started out by trying the live chat on time warner's website. I've taken out my 'analyst's' last name and deleted my personal information, but everything else is verbatim from our 'chat' [minus the brackets]. We begin from the start of our chat...

Barbie: In this case, now I will need to use a tool that will allow me to access your computer remotely. This will help us to troubleshoot the issue quickly efficiently. Please go through the following notes and confirm your acceptance: 1. I will be able to see your computer s desktop and manage your computer. I request your presence while I perform the required troubleshooting. 2. However, if you are not comfortable with this procedure at any point of time, you are free to disconnect the remote tool by clicking on Disable Remote Control button in the center of the screen.

Barbie: Sorry. [for what, i'm not sure]
Barbie: Hello, thank you for choosing Road Runner technical Chat. My name is Barbie D. How may I assist you?
Jennifer_: it's fine to remote connect
Jennifer_: i need help setting up a wep password
Jennifer_: i can't find how to do it on your website
Barbie: Jennifer, I'll try my best to assist you with the issue you are facing.
Barbie: Before we begin, I would like to bring up your account. May I have the following four pieces of information from you please?
1. The account holder's 10 digit telephone number. (xxx-xxx-xxxx)
2. The account holder's Full Name (First and Last)
3. Please tell us your name.
4. May I have your preferred e-mail address?
(Preferred e-mail address is the one that you use frequently; it may be different from the Road Runner e-mail address)

Jennifer_: [i give her this information]
Barbie: Thank you, Jennifer.
Barbie: Jennifer, if I understand you, you want the WEP password, am I right? [keep in mind that when i registered for the chat, i explained that my problem was that i needed to set a WEP password]
Jennifer_: yes please
Jennifer_: right now, we don't have one set
Barbie: Thank you for the confirmation.
Barbie: Jennifer your WEP key would be your Modem Mac address and fourteen 0 s.
Barbie: MAC address is a 12 digit alpha-numeric address on the sticker at the bottom of the modem.
Jennifer_: yes
Jennifer_: i have that number
Jennifer_: where do i type that in to set the password?
Barbie Dcosta: Jennifer, WEP key is required when you try to setup the wireless router.
Jennifer_: the router was set up when i moved in
Barbie Dcosta: Alright, is that provided by Road Runner?
Jennifer_: i can just click on the name of the router and it lets me hook up to that connection
Jennifer_: yes
Barbie: Alright Jennifer, in this case I'd request you to contact our concerned department as I do not have the required expertise for the same and they would be in a better position to assist you with the issue. I'll provide you with the phone number.
Barbie: The number is {XXX-XXX-XXXX]
Barbie: Is there anything else I can assist you with?
Jennifer_: no, that's it. thanks.
Barbie: You are most welcome. For further assistance please logon to our website help.rr.com and check for online FAQs.
Barbie: I would appreciate if you could provide us with your valuable feedback on the support experience, after the end of this chat session. It will help us to serve you better. Please submit your comments at http://surveys.rr.com/chat
Barbie: Thank you for using Road Runner Technical support today, I hope you found our session helpful.
Barbie: Analyst has closed chat and left the room

so Barbie and i parted ways. Ii called the 'concerned department' and let me tell you, they're not particularly concerned. i waited on hold for 35 minutes before even reaching the main menu. this was due to the 'large number of calls' that TW was receiving (past 11pm). once i got a rep on the phone, our conversation proceeded something like this:

Rep: hello. thank you for calling time warner. please provide your first and last name.
me: [provided this info]
Rep: thank you. can you please provide your MAC modem number?
me: [i provide the number on our router. turns out the number on the router is not a time warner number - it's the manufacturers number. i need to call them to set up the password.]
Rep: ma'am...sir?? ma'am, is there anything else i can help you with?

AHHHHH

i continue my quest by calling up the manufacturer of my wireless modem. after a "short" wait of 5 minutes, i get someone on the line. he walks me through how to set up the password, and we're all set. i have to set a lengthy one - it's some sort of system requirement and it's not particularly flexible.

45 minutes since my endeavors begin and we're all set. not too bad as any issues with the cable company goes. in my next life, i'm starting my own monopoly.