had it, don't anymore If anyone has suggestions I'm open to anything since i'm a n00b with some understanding. Did they drop support for Atheros? I'm running a IBM T42 laptop with atheros minipci.

I don't know about the Ubuntu distro, but my Atheros 5212 chipset (mini PCI) requires
CONFIG_NET_WIRELESS=y in the kernel and the madwifi package compiled and installed.

Your Profile says you're running FC2/3, but you posted in the Ubuntu forum. Also, you've
not made a good enough post for someone to really help you much without asking you
a lot of questions.

I suggest you read How To Ask a Question

Point well taken chinaman. Basically I just had the normal 5.04 hoary install and then decided to do a synaptic update with the latest kernel it had available and once it installed and rebooted under the new kernel, I lost my adapter functionality. I've since gone back to the old kernel when booting because I don't really have the time to figure it out and I'm pretty much a n00b like I stated. I realize madwifi is needed for the atheros chipset so I'll give that a look.

Thanks

Since I haven't used Ubuntu (have the CDs ordered to check out) I can't be of much help. But this is what I suspect:

When you got the new kernel, it may or may not have CONFIG_NET_WIRELESS=y. You can check by looking wherever it's installed with an editor. I think your kernel is probably installed under either /usr/src/ or /usr/src/linux/ but I can't say for sure. That's the first thing to check. If you don't have the module, you'll have to either get a kernel that does, or compile one yourself.

You'll also probably have to build madwifi for that specific kernel...I do with Slackware. Every time I install a new kernel I have to build a new madwifi package. This is very easy with Slackware, because I use a SlackBuild script and just change the version number of my kernel, build the app, and install it...takes maybe three minutes.

Edit: And btw, doing a synaptics update and getting a kernel is not the same as compiling and installing one yourself. That one will not be customized for your computer.

madwifi is included in the ubuntu hoary base for 2.6.10-5 kernel. If you install a new kernel from source, you will need to do the same for the madwifi drivers.