Here's a puzzle.

I try to connect to a WiFi network.

- works in Windows
- Doesn't work in linux...
but...
- doesn't work from a liveCD either!

and

- this is with 2 different WiFi cards, one internal(bcm22**), the other USB (rt73)
- it's the same with other access points

How can that be??

"bcm" would indicate Broadcom. Many distros do not include Broadcom wireless by default. You have to go get it.

This is because, until recently, Broadcom did not make the required firmware available to the community for use in Linux, so it was not available for inclusion.

Some, such as Ubuntu, include it but in a "restricted packages" area that must be enabled by choice. I know it was present on my 10.10 disk for netbook remix, but I had to go to "restricted drivers" after booting to enable it from the Live CD.

A similar situation likely applies to the RealTek USB wireless device.

Thanks but I think it's beyond that step, the wpa_supplicant step that's causing the problem though, after this, because I'm getting `bad password`, and yes I've checked a million times... modules are loaded etc

It just confuses me because it worked off CD before