I've just got my wireless network working (not my idea, BTW).
I had all the hardware set-up within 5 minutes and all the software done 10 minutes after that (Stupid XP restore-points took ages to create).
I then spent the next 5 or so hours trying to figure out why I couldn't connect to the internet. I went through ever setting on the router, every cable, every connection and found nothing wrong. The laptop showed the router was okay and the router showed the modem was fine.
Then about 10 minutes ago it hit me: Turn off the modem.
Five hours of scouring for cables to try different things, installing and uninstalling software, changing hardware and swearing. Yet all I need to do was kill the modem and restart it so it would use the RJ45/Base-T connection through the router instead of using the USB connetion straight to my desktop.
Five hours of my life that could have been saved if someone had just tripped on the cable.
But the strangest thing is, instead of taking out my anger on the NW forumites, I actually find all this amazingly funny.