Something different here.
Changed bumbles to an open network, unplugged the aircard and verified access to the open bumbles thru winvista.
Now plugged the aircard in to enable eth0 cable connection thru that router and it seems that wlan0 has disappeared.
switched cable to Netgear router, still 'ifdown wlan0' not found.
Sorry about the long delayed response. Machine, cable manipulations, and shut-eye account for that.
IP address and DHCP are dynamic,


[root@billbar billb]# ifconfig
eth0 Link encap:Ethernet HWaddr 00:1D:09:C9:05:83
inet addr:192.168.0.158 Bcast:192.168.0.255 Mask:255.255.255.0
inet6 addr: fe80::21d:9ff:fec9:583/64 Scope:Link
UP BROADCAST RUNNING MULTICAST MTU:1500 Metric:1
RX packets:11126 errors:0 dropped:0 overruns:0 frame:0
TX packets:11208 errors:0 dropped:0 overruns:0 carrier:0
collisions:0 txqueuelen:1000
RX bytes:11493190 (10.9 Mb) TX bytes:1637513 (1.5 Mb)
Interrupt:21

lo Link encap:Local Loopback
inet addr:127.0.0.1 Mask:255.0.0.0
inet6 addr: ::1/128 Scope:Host
UP LOOPBACK RUNNING MTU:16436 Metric:1
RX packets:28 errors:0 dropped:0 overruns:0 frame:0
TX packets:28 errors:0 dropped:0 overruns:0 carrier:0
collisions:0 txqueuelen:0
RX bytes:1480 (1.4 Kb) TX bytes:1480 (1.4 Kb)

[root@billbar billb]# modprobe b43
WARNING: All config files need .conf: /etc/modprobe.d/ndiswrapper, it will be ignored in a future release.
[root@billbar billb]# ifdown wlan0
bash: ifdown: command not found
[root@billbar billb]# modprobe b43
WARNING: All config files need .conf: /etc/modprobe.d/ndiswrapper, it will be ignored in a future release.
[root@billbar billb]# lspci -vnn | grep 14e4
03:00.0 Ethernet controller [0200]: Broadcom Corporation BCM4401-B0 100Base-TX [14e4:170c] (rev 02)
0b:00.0 Network controller [0280]: Broadcom Corporation BCM4312 802.11b/g [14e4:4315] (rev 01)
[root@billbar billb]# ifdown wlan0
bash: ifdown: command not found
[root@billbar billb]# iwconfig wlan0 essid bumbles commit
Error for wireless request "Commit changes" (8B00) :
SET failed on device wlan0 ; Operation not supported.
[root@billbar billb]#

Sorry to tell you that, but first link in google (search "Arch b43") gave me that web site:
http://wiki.archlinux.org/index.php/Wireless_Setup

I really think that you have to take look, it may help a lot.

Thanks

Finally, it seems we've hit the end of the road. Wasted a great deal of your time and I apologize for that. Also, probably lost more in my production time than I would have in proper research. Surprise, surprise!

After 40 years in system development and programming in at least 5 languages, I should have known that, but then in those days we didn't have forums, or even internet, where you could pop a question for a quick answer. I fear that's how learning has changed in many disciplines and it is evident in language, economics -- oh, well.

Exploring the wiki link led me to Linuxant which led me to, embarrasingly, a tardy look at ndiswrapper supported hardware from which my Dell 1345 wireless card is conspicuously absent.

This machine was a refurb from Tiger, which maybe means no more than that market finds incompatible hardware. So, that's another lesson to consider.

I endorse minrich's complement on your consumate skills and patience, your comments on the failure of forums to promote reading manuals. That used to be the first response to a question and maybe it's still a good one.

Enough! Thanks again.

Bill

I use the same Broadcom adapter, with the sane driver - it works perfect.
But, I do not use this firmware, I use driver from kernel and proprietary firmware from kernel page.

The problem is in your case, that may be WICD does not want to work with your driver and firmware, but as you can read in manual I gave - you can connect manually.

Linux - is like a brick wall, one can climb over it, but not break it.