[ubuntu-uk] Sorry but... wifi / WPA / hidden SSID problem

[Mac]

Freinds >>> When I made the switch from Windows to Ubuntu last March, I 
spent about a fortnight trying to get wifi working in Dapper on a Dell 
Inspiron 8200 laptop.  I really had no clear idea of what I was doing, 
and stumbled about copying lumps of HowTos into the terminal and getting 
into a complete tangle.

	But somehow - I've no recollection how - I got the Lynksys WPC54G 
pcmcia card (Broadcom) connected using Network Manager, WPA-encrypted, 
and with a hidden SSID.  And it went on connecting fine in Edgy and Feisty.

	After problems upgrading to Gutsy, I've had to reinstall Dapper on this 
laptop.  With exactly the same hardware as before, I've now got a wifi 
connection up and running using WPA, but only with a broadcast SSID.

	I've spent days searching for a fix to allow connection with the SSID 
hidden, and come across loads of comment that Network Manager doesn't 
work with hidden SSIDs.  Well, it did for months on my machine.  But I 
don't know what I did to make it work flawlessly; and I can't get it 
working again now.

	So this is by way of a heartfelt appeal to you wise folks:  what  the 
heck do you do to get n-m to connect with the SSID hidden?

	(I've seen comments that using a hidden SSID doesn't really add much by 
way of security if you're using WPA encryption.  Is that right?  And is 
WPA2 'better' than WPA? - I think my set up is only managing WPA, 'cos 
it won't connect to the router when I set the router to 'WPA2 only', 
rather than 'mixed WPA/WPA2'.)

	I look forward to the sort of enlightenment you've variously provided 
about dead hard stuff in the past!

Mac