[micro2]

waterhead I got this -

 /sbin/lspci -nn
00:00.0 Host bridge [0600]: ATI Technologies Inc RD580 [CrossFire Xpress 3200] Chipset Host Bridge [1002:5952]
00:02.0 PCI bridge [0604]: ATI Technologies Inc RS480 PCI-X Root Port [1002:5a34]
00:05.0 PCI bridge [0604]: ATI Technologies Inc RS480 PCI Bridge [1002:5a37]
00:06.0 PCI bridge [0604]: ATI Technologies Inc RS480 PCI Bridge [1002:5a38]
00:18.0 Host bridge [0600]: Advanced Micro Devices [AMD] K8 [Athlon64/Opteron] HyperTransport Technology Configuration [1022:1100]
00:18.1 Host bridge [0600]: Advanced Micro Devices [AMD] K8 [Athlon64/Opteron] Address Map [1022:1101]
00:18.2 Host bridge [0600]: Advanced Micro Devices [AMD] K8 [Athlon64/Opteron] DRAM Controller [1022:1102]
00:18.3 Host bridge [0600]: Advanced Micro Devices [AMD] K8 [Athlon64/Opteron] Miscellaneous Control [1022:1103]
00:1a.0 PCI bridge [0604]: ALi Corporation M5249 HTT to PCI Bridge [10b9:5249]
00:1c.0 USB Controller [0c03]: ALi Corporation USB 1.1 Controller [10b9:5237] (rev 03)
00:1c.1 USB Controller [0c03]: ALi Corporation USB 1.1 Controller [10b9:5237] (rev 03)
00:1c.2 USB Controller [0c03]: ALi Corporation USB 1.1 Controller [10b9:5237] (rev 03)
00:1c.3 USB Controller [0c03]: ALi Corporation USB 2.0 Controller [10b9:5239] (rev 01)
00:1d.0 Audio device [0403]: ALi Corporation High Definition Audio/AC'97 Host Controller [10b9:5461] (rev 02)
00:1e.0 ISA bridge [0601]: ALi Corporation Unknown device [10b9:1575]
00:1e.1 Bridge [0680]: ALi Corporation M7101 Power Management Controller [PMU] [10b9:7101]
00:1f.0 IDE interface [0101]: ALi Corporation M5229 IDE [10b9:5229] (rev c8)
00:1f.1 IDE interface [0101]: ALi Corporation ULi M5288 SATA [10b9:5288] (rev 10)
01:11.0 Ethernet controller [0200]: Atheros Communications, Inc. AR5212/AR5213 Multiprotocol MAC/baseband processor [168c:0013] (rev 01)
01:13.0 FireWire (IEEE 1394) [0c00]: Texas Instruments TSB43AB22/A IEEE-1394a-2000 Controller (PHY/Link) [104c:8023]
01:14.0 Ethernet controller [0200]: Marvell Technology Group Ltd. 88E8001 Gigabit Ethernet Controller [11ab:4320] (rev 14)
02:00.0 Ethernet controller [0200]: Marvell Technology Group Ltd. 88E8053 PCI-E Gigabit Ethernet Controller [11ab:4362] (rev 20)
03:00.0 Mass storage controller [0180]: Silicon Image, Inc. SiI 3132 Serial ATA Raid II Controller [1095:3132] (rev 01)
04:00.0 VGA compatible controller [0300]: ATI Technologies Inc Unknown device [1002:9501]
04:00.1 Audio device [0403]: ATI Technologies Inc Unknown device [1002:aa18]

and this -

 /sbin/lsmod
Module                  Size  Used by
nls_utf8                5697  1 
rfcomm                 33233  0 
l2cap                  21953  9 rfcomm
bluetooth              48165  4 rfcomm,l2cap
autofs4                20293  2 
fuse                   41301  1 
sunrpc                149213  3 
nf_conntrack_ipv4      11589  6 
ipt_REJECT              7361  2 
iptable_filter          6337  1 
ip_tables              14085  1 iptable_filter
nf_conntrack_ftp       10721  0 
nf_conntrack_ipv6      16329  6 
xt_state                5953  12 
nf_conntrack           51713  4 nf_conntrack_ipv4,nf_conntrack_ftp,nf_conntrack_ipv6,xt_state
xt_tcpudp               6849  16 
ip6t_ipv6header         6081  2 
ip6t_REJECT             8001  2 
ip6table_filter         6209  1 
ip6_tables             14981  2 ip6t_ipv6header,ip6table_filter
x_tables               14149  7 ipt_REJECT,ip_tables,xt_state,xt_tcpudp,ip6t_ipv6header,ip6t_REJECT,ip6_tables
loop                   16197  0 
dm_multipath           18505  0 
ipv6                  228357  14 nf_conntrack_ipv6,ip6t_REJECT
snd_hda_intel         297441  2 
i2c_ali1535             9925  0 
arc4                    5825  2 
snd_seq_dummy           6725  0 
ecb                     6593  2 
ns558                   7745  0 
parport_pc             26725  0 
snd_mpu401             11241  0 
gameport               14153  2 ns558
blkcipher               9285  1 ecb
parport                32393  1 parport_pc
snd_mpu401_uart        10305  1 snd_mpu401
snd_usb_audio          79681  2 
snd_seq_oss            31553  0 
floppy                 52741  0 
snd_seq_midi_event      9665  1 snd_seq_oss
snd_seq                48945  5 snd_seq_dummy,snd_seq_oss,snd_seq_midi_event
pcspkr                  6465  0 
serio_raw               8901  0 
snd_pcm_oss            44353  0 
i2c_ali15x3            10437  0 
snd_mixer_oss          17217  1 snd_pcm_oss
snd_pcm                70981  3 snd_hda_intel,snd_usb_audio,snd_pcm_oss
i2c_core               21057  2 i2c_ali1535,i2c_ali15x3
snd_usb_lib            18241  1 snd_usb_audio
snd_timer              21317  2 snd_seq,snd_pcm
snd_rawmidi            22465  2 snd_mpu401_uart,snd_usb_lib
snd_page_alloc         11593  2 snd_hda_intel,snd_pcm
snd_seq_device         10317  4 snd_seq_dummy,snd_seq_oss,snd_seq,snd_rawmidi
ath5k                 108873  0 
snd_hwdep              10693  2 snd_hda_intel,snd_usb_audio
snd                    48325  23 snd_hda_intel,snd_seq_dummy,snd_mpu401,snd_mpu401_uart,snd_usb_audio,snd_seq_oss,snd_seq,snd_pcm_oss,snd_mixer_oss,snd_pcm,snd_usb_lib,snd_timer,snd_rawmidi,snd_seq_device,snd_hwdep
mac80211              191541  1 ath5k
firewire_ohci          21573  0 
soundcore               9505  1 snd
firewire_core          36809  1 firewire_ohci
skge                   38097  0 
cfg80211               26697  2 ath5k,mac80211
crc_itu_t               5953  1 firewire_core
k8temp                  8129  0 
hwmon                   6341  1 k8temp
sky2                   42053  0 
button                 10321  0 
fglrx                1537932  27 
sr_mod                 17381  1 
cdrom                  33761  1 sr_mod
sg                     32209  0 
pata_ali               11585  1 
sata_sil24             16325  0 
dm_snapshot            17765  0 
dm_zero                 5697  0 
dm_mirror              21441  0 
dm_mod                 48773  9 dm_multipath,dm_snapshot,dm_zero,dm_mirror
ata_generic             8773  0 
pata_acpi               8641  0 
ahci                   25540  2 
libata                128561  5 pata_ali,sata_sil24,ata_generic,pata_acpi,ahci
sd_mod                 26689  3 
scsi_mod              123341  4 sr_mod,sg,libata,sd_mod
ext3                  111945  2 
jbd                    40533  1 ext3
mbcache                10049  1 ext3
uhci_hcd               23633  0 
ohci_hcd               22725  0 
ehci_hcd               32333  0

[waterhead]

It looks like you already knew this, but this is your wireless:

01:11.0 Ethernet controller [0200]: Atheros Communications, Inc. AR5212/AR5213 Multiprotocol MAC/baseband processor [168c:0013] (rev 01)

And this is the driver:

ath5k                 108873  0

Sorry for interrupting.

[micro2]

but how do I configure it? I go to activate it and it gives me this error -

Error for wireless request "Set Mode" (8B06) :
SET failed on device wlan0 ; Invalid argument. ..........

[waterhead]

Here's some instructions for setting up this card.
ath5k - Linux Wireless

EDIT: Sorry, wrong link. Look down the page a little farther for the caveats
ath5k - Linux Wireless

[micro2]

not sure how to respond to this, kinda looks a little out of my league. Are these commands that are run at the terminal and should I be in a specific directory when I do?

[Dapper Dan]

Been out fishing. Y'all have been busy! Hopefully waterhead's link has got you sorted. If not, I'd like to see the results of:

/sbin/iwconfig

See if "mode" is set to "managed" or ad-hoc." If managed, you should be good regardless of the error. If not, see what happens when you do:

/sbin/iwconfig wlan0 mode managed

[waterhead]

There is another way to connect. I use the NetworkManager applet. In the main menu open System-->Services and put a check next to NetworkManager and NetworkManagerDispatcher. Click the start arrow for each one, and save the configuration.

There now should be a NetworkManager icon in the system tray. Right-click on it and put a check in the box for Enable Wireless. Now if you left click it should show you the available networks. Click on the one you want to connect to, and enter the needed info.

I hope this works for you.

[micro2]

ok, that was easy but it doesn't show the wireless just the wired connections. I have dual GB Lan onboard. Still no wireless. Maybe I should reboot........

[waterhead]

Originally Posted by Dapper Dan

Been out fishing.

We can never believe any thing you say anymore. Everyone knows that all fishermen are liars!

Actually, I've been doin' some internet fishin'. The instructions on my link are rather fuzzy. Others have succeeded using your commands. Here are a few more.

iwconfig wlan0 essid <essid_name>
iwconfig wlan0 key s:xxxxxxxxxxxxx

[waterhead]

Originally Posted by micro2

ok, that was easy but it doesn't show the wireless just the wired connections. I have dual GB Lan onboard. Still no wireless. Maybe I should reboot........

Umm... Have you configured the wireless device in the System-->Network section? Highlight the device and click edit. Check boxes that the device is controlled by NetworkManager, and automatic IP address (also automatic DNS). You can also change settings on the other tabs.