I've got a fresh install of slackware-9.1.

When there is no security and the SSID is being broadcasted and everything from my AP, the card connects fine and everything works great. When I stop broadcasting the SSID, and configure my wireless.opts file so that the SSID's name is in there, the card connects and everything is fine. When I enable WEP on the AP and I add the key to my wireless.opts file, the card connects to the AP it appears, iwconfig yeilds positive results, but nothing comes through. I can't access the net or anything.

any ideas?

iwconfig spits out the correct key and the correct info for the configuration as far as I can tell, its just when WEP is enabled nothing happens, it connects (as far as I can tell) but nothing happens.

thanks a ton in advance

If you use WEP, but leave SSID broadcast on, does it work? If so, I'd forget about SSID broadcast. It only makes it invisible to NetStumbler, but not to Kismet or Airsnort.

no, still doesn't work when SSID broadcasting is on

I didn't install any drivers or anything like that, the card started working right from a fresh install of slackware9.1, does that have anything to do with it?

What card are you using?
Slack obviously recognized the card and loaded a driver, or you wouldn't be able to connect without WEP. lsmod will list the drivers the are loaded.

The simplest explanation is a WEP key mis-match, although you've checked that. Are you using 128 bit? The 26 digit hex key matches? (That is, you're not using a passphrase or anything.)

the card's a wpc11

I'm using a 64bit encryption, I could use a 128bit

is there any special way I should write the key or something?

Use 128 bit for security and use a 26 digit hex key at both ends to avoid any passphrase or alphanumeric confusion.
iwconfig ethx key 12345abcde ...
I use the orinoco_cs driver and the key is stored in /ect/pcmcia/wireless.opts to keep from having to enter it after a reboot. Syntax for that file is:
KEY="1234-5abc-def6-7890 ..."

how can I figure out where the problem is? When I run iwconfig the info checks out, other than that I don't know how to troublehsoot it any further.

could you perhaps copy and paste your wireless.opts configuration so I coudl get a look at it? replace the key and everything, I just want to see what you have and compare it to my file.

thanks

Sure. Here it is, minus the general comments by Jean Tourrilhes:

# Generic example (decribe all possible settings)
*,*,*,*)
INFO="Fill with your own settings..."
# ESSID (extended network name) : My Network, any
ESSID="wireless"
# NWID/Domain (cell identifier) : 89AB, 100, off
NWID=""
# Operation mode : Ad-Hoc, Managed, Master, Repeater, Secondary, auto
MODE="Managed"
# Frequency or channel : 1, 2, 3 (channel) ; 2.422G, 2.46G (frequency)
FREQ=""
CHANNEL=""
# Sensitivity (cell size + roaming speed) : 1, 2, 3 ; -70 (dBm)
SENS=""
# Bit rate : auto, 1M, 11M
RATE="auto"
# Encryption key : 4567, sassword
KEY="1234-abcd-5678-bcde-9876-3210-bb"
# RTS threshold : off, 500
RTS=""
# Fragmentation threshold : off, 1000
FRAG=""
# Other iwconfig parameters : power off, ap 01:23:45:67:89:AB
IWCONFIG=""
# iwspy parameters : + 01:23:45:67:89:AB
IWSPY=""
# iwpriv parameters : set_port 2, set_histo 50 60
IWPRIV=""
;;
esac