prism 2.5, hostap wireless no longer connects on ubuntu 8.10

[Karl Rudnick]

I'm new to this group, but I thought I would seek advice/help to see if 
my current network problems lie more with my wireless device (firmware, 
version 1.4.9, for my prism 2.5 is possibly old?) or with the hostap 
driver. This is in a circa 2003 Compaq Presario 2100 laptop on a fresh 
install of the just released ubuntu 8.10 Intrepid. Complete details are 
at http://bugzilla.gnome.org/show_bug.cgi?id=557789 , where I originally 
filed the bug as a potential problem with gnome network-manager. The 
short synopsis is, with no security turned on, my /var/log/syslog reads:

Oct 31 00:57:58 hplaptop NetworkManager: <info>  Activation (wlan0/wireless): connection 'SanPatNosec' requires no security.  No secrets needed. 
Oct 31 00:57:58 hplaptop NetworkManager: <info>  Config: added 'ssid' value 'omitted' 
Oct 31 00:57:58 hplaptop NetworkManager: <info>  Config: added 'scan_ssid' value '1' 
Oct 31 00:57:58 hplaptop NetworkManager: <info>  Config: added 'key_mgmt' value 'NONE' 
Oct 31 00:57:58 hplaptop NetworkManager: <info>  Activation (wlan0) Stage 2 of 5 (Device Configure) complete. 
Oct 31 00:57:59 hplaptop NetworkManager: <info>  Config: set interface ap_scan to 1 
Oct 31 00:57:59 hplaptop NetworkManager: <info>  (wlan0): supplicant connection state change: 2 -> 0 
Oct 31 00:57:59 hplaptop NetworkManager: <info>  (wlan0): supplicant connection state change: 0 -> 2 
Oct 31 00:57:59 hplaptop NetworkManager: <info>  (wlan0): supplicant connection state change: 2 -> 3 
Oct 31 00:57:59 hplaptop kernel: [ 4542.779842 <javascript:void(0)>] wifi0: CMD=0x0121 => res=0x7f, resp0=0x0004
Oct 31 00:57:59 hplaptop kernel: [ 4542.779858 <javascript:void(0)>] wifi0: hfa384x_set_rid: CMDCODE_ACCESS_WRITE failed (res=127, rid=fc48, len=2)
Oct 31 00:57:59 hplaptop kernel: [ 4542.780759 <javascript:void(0)>] wlan0: CMD=0x0121 => res=0x7f, resp0=0x0004
Oct 31 00:57:59 hplaptop kernel: [ 4542.780767 <javascript:void(0)>] wlan0: hfa384x_set_rid: CMDCODE_ACCESS_WRITE failed (res=127, rid=fc03, len=2)
Oct 31 00:57:59 hplaptop kernel: [ 4542.783800 <javascript:void(0)>] wlan0: CMD=0x0121 => res=0x7f, resp0=0x0004
Oct 31 00:57:59 hplaptop kernel: [ 4542.783808 <javascript:void(0)>] wlan0: hfa384x_set_rid: CMDCODE_ACCESS_WRITE failed (res=127, rid=fc04, len=34)
Oct 31 00:57:59 hplaptop kernel: [ 4542.786365 <javascript:void(0)>] wlan0: Preferred AP (SIOCSIWAP) is used only in Managed mode when host_roaming is enabled

I suppose, given that I cannot connect with security turned off, that I 
shouldn't have even tried WPA2, but this is the dump in syslog from that:

Oct 30 23:50:09 hplaptop NetworkManager: <info>  Activation (wlan0/wireless): connection 'SanPatW2' has security, and secrets exist.  No new secrets needed. 
Oct 30 23:50:09 hplaptop NetworkManager: <info>  Config: added 'ssid' value 'omitted' 
Oct 30 23:50:09 hplaptop NetworkManager: <info>  Config: added 'scan_ssid' value '1' 
Oct 30 23:50:09 hplaptop NetworkManager: <info>  Config: added 'bssid' value '00:40:ca:45:81:20' 
Oct 30 23:50:09 hplaptop NetworkManager: <info>  Config: added 'key_mgmt' value 'WPA-PSK' 
Oct 30 23:50:09 hplaptop NetworkManager: <info>  Config: added 'psk' value '<omitted>' 
Oct 30 23:50:09 hplaptop NetworkManager: <info>  Config: added 'proto' value 'WPA RSN' 
Oct 30 23:50:09 hplaptop NetworkManager: <info>  Config: added 'pairwise' value 'TKIP CCMP' 
Oct 30 23:50:09 hplaptop NetworkManager: <info>  Config: added 'group' value 'WEP40 WEP104 TKIP CCMP' 
Oct 30 23:50:09 hplaptop NetworkManager: <info>  Activation (wlan0) Stage 2 of 5 (Device Configure) complete. 
Oct 30 23:50:09 hplaptop NetworkManager: <info>  Config: set interface ap_scan to 1 
Oct 30 23:50:09 hplaptop NetworkManager: <info>  (wlan0): supplicant connection state change: 0 -> 2 
Oct 30 23:50:10 hplaptop kernel: [  473.394387 <javascript:void(0)>] wifi0: short HostScan result entry (16/64)
Oct 30 23:50:15 hplaptop kernel: [  478.732973 <javascript:void(0)>] wifi0: short HostScan result entry (16/64)
Oct 30 23:50:20 hplaptop kernel: [  484.166709 <javascript:void(0)>] wifi0: short HostScan result entry (16/64)
Oct 30 23:50:26 hplaptop kernel: [  489.556931 <javascript:void(0)>] wifi0: short HostScan result entry (16/64)
Oct 30 23:50:31 hplaptop kernel: [  494.895704 <javascript:void(0)>] wifi0: short HostScan result entry (16/64)
Oct 30 23:50:34 hplaptop NetworkManager: <info>  Activation (wlan0/wireless): association took too long. 

The hostap driver is part of the ubuntu kernel which is at version 2.6.27-7. If I do need a firware upgrade, 
I need a little hand holding.

Thanks for any advice where next to turn. 

karlos