Atheros AR242x 802.11abg Wireless/Compaq Pres C700/Ubuntu Ibex Help Requested

Hello - I've seen some excellent help on this topic, but this newbie still can't get the Atheros AR242x wireless card in the Compaq C700 up and running on my LinkSys Wireless G Router (I can directly connect to my Comcast Cable modem via Ethernet). I've included (I hope) extensive info that I've seen requested in other messages. I'm a database programmer under Windows, and I'm used to dealing with the command line under DOS, but the amount of "sudo" stuff in Ubuntu is making this difficult for me. After spending about 20 hours on this I could sure use some help from the experts!

I'm willing to learn -- please be gentle with me.

Thanks,

John Wahl

Here's some of the info requested from other posts:

01:00.0 Ethernet controller: Atheros Communications Inc. AR242x 802.11abg Wireless PCI Express Adapter (rev 01)
Subsystem: Hewlett-Packard Company Device 137a
Flags: fast devsel, IRQ 16
Memory at 51300000 (64-bit, non-prefetchable) [disabled] [size=64K]
Capabilities: <access denied>
Kernel modules: ath_pci

Some blacklisting I've tried:
echo -e "blacklist bcm43xx\nblacklist b43\nblacklist b43legacy\nblacklist ssb" | sudo tee -a /etc/modprobe.d/blacklist

echo -e "blacklist ath_pci" | sudo tee -a /etc/modprobe.d/blacklist

lspci -nn
00:00.0 Host bridge [0600]: Intel Corporation Mobile PM965/GM965/GL960 Memory Controller Hub [8086:2a00] (rev 03)
00:02.0 VGA compatible controller [0300]: Intel Corporation Mobile GM965/GL960 Integrated Graphics Controller [8086:2a02] (rev 03)
00:02.1 Display controller [0380]: Intel Corporation Mobile GM965/GL960 Integrated Graphics Controller [8086:2a03] (rev 03)
00:1b.0 Audio device [0403]: Intel Corporation 82801H (ICH8 Family) HD Audio Controller [8086:284b] (rev 03)
00:1c.0 PCI bridge [0604]: Intel Corporation 82801H (ICH8 Family) PCI Express Port 1 [8086:283f] (rev 03)
00:1d.0 USB Controller [0c03]: Intel Corporation 82801H (ICH8 Family) USB UHCI Controller #1 [8086:2830] (rev 03)
00:1d.1 USB Controller [0c03]: Intel Corporation 82801H (ICH8 Family) USB UHCI Controller #2 [8086:2831] (rev 03)
00:1d.2 USB Controller [0c03]: Intel Corporation 82801H (ICH8 Family) USB UHCI Controller #3 [8086:2832] (rev 03)
00:1d.7 USB Controller [0c03]: Intel Corporation 82801H (ICH8 Family) USB2 EHCI Controller #1 [8086:2836] (rev 03)
00:1e.0 PCI bridge [0604]: Intel Corporation 82801 Mobile PCI Bridge [8086:2448] (rev f3)
00:1f.0 ISA bridge [0601]: Intel Corporation 82801HEM (ICH8M) LPC Interface Controller [8086:2815] (rev 03)
00:1f.1 IDE interface [0101]: Intel Corporation 82801HBM/HEM (ICH8M/ICH8M-E) IDE Controller [8086:2850] (rev 03)
00:1f.2 SATA controller [0106]: Intel Corporation 82801HBM/HEM (ICH8M/ICH8M-E) SATA AHCI Controller [8086:2829] (rev 03)
00:1f.3 SMBus [0c05]: Intel Corporation 82801H (ICH8 Family) SMBus Controller [8086:283e] (rev 03)
01:00.0 Ethernet controller [0200]: Atheros Communications Inc. AR242x 802.11abg Wireless PCI Express Adapter [168c:001c] (rev 01)
02:01.0 Ethernet controller [0200]: Realtek Semiconductor Co., Ltd. RTL-8139/8139C/8139C+ [10ec:8139] (rev 10)

lshw -C Network
WARNING: you should run this program as super-user.
*-network
description: Ethernet controller
product: AR242x 802.11abg Wireless PCI Express Adapter
vendor: Atheros Communications Inc.
physical id: 0
bus info: pci@0000:01:00.0
version: 01
width: 64 bits
clock: 33MHz
capabilities: bus_master cap_list
configuration: driver=ndiswrapper latency=0 module=ndiswrapper
*-network
description: Ethernet interface
product: RTL-8139/8139C/8139C+
vendor: Realtek Semiconductor Co., Ltd.
physical id: 1
bus info: pci@0000:02:01.0
logical name: eth0
version: 10
serial: 00:1b:38:ef:ee:17
width: 32 bits
clock: 33MHz
capabilities: bus_master cap_list ethernet physical
configuration: broadcast=yes driver=8139too driverversion=0.9.28 latency=64 maxlatency=64 mingnt=32 module=8139too multicast=yes
*-network DISABLED
description: Ethernet interface
physical id: 1
logical name: pan0
serial: aa:32:e3:b7:c0:90
capabilities: ethernet physical
configuration: broadcast=yes driver=bridge driverversion=2.3 firmware=N/A multicast=yes

dmesg | grep -e ath -e wlan
[ 12.769258] ndiswrapper (link_pe_images:603): DLL initialize failed for athw.sys
[ 12.769295] ndiswrapper: driver netathw (,03/13/2009,7.7.0.259) loaded
[ 780.641673] ath_hal: 0.9.18.0 (AR5210, AR5211, AR5212, RF5111, RF5112, RF2413, RF5413)
[ 780.658037] wlan: 0.9.4
[ 780.667343] ath_pci: 0.9.4

uname -rm
2.6.27-7-generic i686

iwconfig
lo no wireless extensions.

eth0 no wireless extensions.

pan0 no wireless extensions.

modinfo ath_pci
filename: /lib/modules/2.6.27-7-generic/volatile/ath_pci.ko
srcversion: D3FD3BD11169A96DBCFF8DE
alias: pci:v0000168Cd00009013sv*sd*bc*sc*i*
alias: pci:v0000168Cd0000001Dsv*sd*bc*sc*i*
alias: pci:v0000168Cd0000001Csv*sd*bc*sc*i*
alias: pci:v0000168Cd0000001Bsv*sd*bc*sc*i*
alias: pci:v0000168Cd0000001Asv*sd*bc*sc*i*
alias: pci:v0000168Cd00000019sv*sd*bc*sc*i*
alias: pci:v0000168Cd00000018sv*sd*bc*sc*i*
alias: pci:v0000168Cd00000017sv*sd*bc*sc*i*
alias: pci:v0000168Cd00000016sv*sd*bc*sc*i*
alias: pci:v0000168Cd00000015sv*sd*bc*sc*i*
alias: pci:v0000168Cd0000101Asv*sd*bc*sc*i*
alias: pci:v0000168Cd00001014sv*sd*bc*sc*i*
alias: pci:v000010B7d00000013sv*sd*bc*sc*i*
alias: pci:v0000A727d00000013sv*sd*bc*sc*i*
alias: pci:v0000168Cd00000013sv*sd*bc*sc*i*
alias: pci:v0000168Cd00000012sv*sd*bc*sc*i*
alias: pci:v0000168Cd00000007sv*sd*bc*sc*i*
depends: ath_hal,wlan
vermagic: 2.6.27-7-generic SMP mod_unload modversions 586
license: Dual BSD/GPL
version: 0.9.4
description: Support for Atheros 802.11 wireless LAN cards.
author: Errno Consulting, Sam Leffler
parm: countrycode:Override default country code (int)
parm: maxvaps:Maximum VAPs (int)
parm: outdoor:Enable/disable outdoor use (int)
parm: xchanmode:Enable/disable extended channel mode (int)
parm: rfkill:Enable/disable RFKILL capability (int)
parm: autocreate:Create ath device in [sta|ap|wds|adhoc|ahdemo|monitor] mode. defaults to sta, use 'none' to disable (charp)
parm: ratectl:Rate control algorithm [amrr|minstrel|onoe|sample], defaults to 'sample' (charp)
parm: ath_debug:Load-time debug output enable (int)