Easy, Shmeasy

A couple weeks ago, Lew and I picked up a device from our cell phone carrier that will strengthen the cell signal in our home.

The sales representative that waited on us said that he would associate the device with our account.  We stood around while he did this.

Then he told us how to activate it once we got it home.  And once it was activated, he said that we could plug it into an electrical outlet anywhere in our house -- no other cables necessary.  "Easy," he said.

I followed his instructions.

It did not work.

I read the user manual and followed the troubleshooting instructions.

It did not work.

I then left it (and its box) sitting under our keyboard in the living room.  After several days of seeing it there, I decided that today would be the day.

While trying to follow the original instructions, I took extreme measures to get it working

It did not work.

Then it occurred to me that perhaps I should go online and see if this device was actually attached to our account.  It was NOT!  I'm not sure what the guy at the store did, but it certainly wasn't what he led us to believe that he did.

Shortly afterward, it worked!  Hooray!

I then tried to plug it into a different electrical outlet in our house -- no other cables necessary, right?!

It no longer worked.

As I refused to call our cell phone carrier's help desk, I re-read the user manual and did some Internet research.

My research led me to believe that the "other cable" was indeed necessary.  So I hooked it back up, but in a different spot that would work for the "other cable."

It works!  Hooray!

And in case you're wondering, the device was FREE.  Otherwise, I would have probably returned it before today!