LinkSys adapters fail to find signal

P II Homebuilt, Asus P2B mobo, 500mb RAM
Windows XP SP1
Linksys WRT54GX, WMP54GS, WMP54GX

Wi-Fi network has been up and running without problems for more than a
year. One Dell laptop and one HP laptop have communicated with the
router in that time without protest. The HP laptop crashed and while
it is being repaired I needed to press a retired PII into limited
service including an Internet connection. Previously it had been
successfully connected directly to the modem via a USB cable and
installed drivers. That connection was removed per our request to the
cable company when the machine was retired. Since I am building a new
desktop machine that will need a wi-fi card, I purchased a WMP54GS
v1.1 on e-Bay thinking it could serve the old PII now and the new box
later. I installed the drivers, then the card as instructed. DEVICE
MANAGER SEES THE CARD AND REPORTS NO CONFLICTS. The Linksys config
software caused repeated crashes, I switched to the Windows setup. The
Linksys Netclient app can not find the signal. I opened the Wireless
Network Connection Properties > Wireless Networks > Preferred networks
Properties and fill in the boxes per the LinkSys config text file
and click OK. The Preferred networks windows shows the SSID with a red
X. I click the Available networks > Refresh button and the red X goes
away however the SSID does not appear in Available networks. Close the
window and the red X remains over the Network Connections LAN entry. I
have disabled all firewall and other filtering/monitoring software
with no change. I updated the driver and switched antennae also with
no change. I spent two hour by phone with LinkSys Tech Support with no
success. They did not walk me through any test or configs and just
said the antenna or the card was defective and that they would not
replace it because it was obtained through a third-party vendor.

I ordered the WMP54GX from newegg expecting to finally get a
connection and it does not even show up in Device Manager. There is
not even a Network adapters header so there is no where to go with
that one.

At this point I don't know if either or both of these cards is
defective. I have no other box in which to install them to see. I am
less experienced with this aspect of computers than others and may
well have overlooked some part of the process that is obvious to more
experienced users.

Suggestions are welcome and gratefully appreciated.
Thank you.
.

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