configuring wireless connection - beginner

[Jay Strauss]

Ok, I tried as you suggested, and got an error, below is the output. 
Google has been no help on this one

> That's what I have:
> ...
> wpa_supplicant -d -Dhostap -iwlan0 -c/etc/wpa_supplicant.conf
> 

hydrogen:~# wpa_supplicant -d -Dhostap -ieth0 -c/etc/wpa_supplicant.conf
Initializing interface 'eth0' conf '/etc/wpa_supplicant.conf' driver 
'hostap'
Configuration file '/etc/wpa_supplicant.conf' -> '/etc/wpa_supplicant.conf'
Reading configuration file '/etc/wpa_supplicant.conf'
ctrl_interface='/usr/sbin/wpa_supplicant'
Priority group 0
    id=0 ssid='linksys'
Initializing interface (2) 'eth0'
EAPOL: SUPP_PAE entering state DISCONNECTED
EAPOL: KEY_RX entering state NO_KEY_RECEIVE
EAPOL: SUPP_BE entering state INITIALIZE
EAP: EAP entering state DISABLED
EAPOL: External notification - portEnabled=0
EAPOL: External notification - portValid=0
ioctl[SIOCSIWPMKSA]: Operation not supported
Own MAC address: 00:20:e0:89:8f:e2
wpa_driver_hostap_set_wpa: enabled=1
wpa_driver_hostap_set_key: alg=none key_idx=0 set_tx=0 seq_len=0 key_len=0
ioctl[PRISM2_IOCTL_HOSTAPD]: Operation not supported
Failed to set encryption.
wpa_driver_hostap_set_key: alg=none key_idx=1 set_tx=0 seq_len=0 key_len=0
ioctl[PRISM2_IOCTL_HOSTAPD]: Operation not supported
Failed to set encryption.
wpa_driver_hostap_set_key: alg=none key_idx=2 set_tx=0 seq_len=0 key_len=0
ioctl[PRISM2_IOCTL_HOSTAPD]: Operation not supported
Failed to set encryption.
wpa_driver_hostap_set_key: alg=none key_idx=3 set_tx=0 seq_len=0 key_len=0
ioctl[PRISM2_IOCTL_HOSTAPD]: Operation not supported
Failed to set encryption.
wpa_driver_hostap_set_countermeasures: enabled=0
wpa_driver_hostap_set_drop_unencrypted: enabled=1
Setting scan request: 0 sec 100000 usec
Using existing control interface directory.
bind(PF_UNIX): Not a directory
ctrl_iface exists, but does not allow connections - assuming it was 
leftover from forced program termination
unlink[ctrl_iface]: Not a directory
Could not unlink existing ctrl_iface socket '/usr/sbin/wpa_supplicant/eth0'
Failed to initialize control interface '/usr/sbin/wpa_supplicant'.
You may have another wpa_supplicant process already running or the file was
left by an unclean termination of wpa_supplicant in which case you will need
to manually remove this file before starting wpa_supplicant again.
wpa_driver_hostap_set_wpa: enabled=0
ioctl[PRISM2_IOCTL_HOSTAPD]: Operation not supported
wpa_driver_hostap_set_drop_unencrypted: enabled=0
wpa_driver_hostap_set_countermeasures: enabled=0

 > will do the trick, you may also want to check for your wlan cards name
 > with command:
 >
 > iwconfig

I also did: But please note, this is AFTER I configured it to connect as WEP

hydrogen:~# iwconfig
lo        no wireless extensions.

eth0      IEEE 802.11-DS  ESSID:"strausshouse"  Nickname:"Prism  I"
           Mode:Managed  Frequency:2.457 GHz  Access Point: 
00:0F:3D:5D:CF:68
           Bit Rate:11 Mb/s   Tx-Power=15 dBm   Sensitivity:1/3
           Retry min limit:8   RTS thr:off   Fragment thr:off
           Encryption key:D4DA-39F7-9F   Security mode:open
           Power Management:off
           Link Quality=50/92  Signal level=-63 dBm  Noise level=-146 dBm
           Rx invalid nwid:0  Rx invalid crypt:0  Rx invalid frag:0
           Tx excessive retries:1  Invalid misc:0   Missed beacon:0

eth1      no wireless extensions.

sit0      no wireless extensions.