I assumed that the wep key the router uses was a string "s:******" It turns out that the key is a hexi number instead. Of course removing the "s:" solved the problem. Now the wireless works nicely.
essid_ath0="patkno" mode_ath0="managed" channel_ath0="6" key_patkno="********** enc open" -- Ted Ozolins(VE7TVO) -- gentoo-user@gentoo.org mailing list
