Hi, I had problems with a new laptop which had an ethernet card that refused to connect on linux (still broken), and this too-recent-to-just-work wireless card RTL8188CE
My workaround was this: Step one) Upgrade the kernel using these instructions: http://www.broce.net/?p=54 except, in make menuconfig, turn on the required driver: I THINK its: drivers, network drivers, wireless cards, RTL8192CE Step two) Download the latest firmware from: http://git.kernel.org/?p=linux/kernel/git/dwmw2/linux-firmware.git;a=tree;f=rtlwifi;hb=HEAD which is the linux-firmware git tree, subfolder rtlwifi - just download all of those bins (click the 'raw' link for each), and copy them to: /lib/firmware/rtlwifi and reboot. At least now i can apt-get via wifi and try and fix the stoopid wired network... cheers Paul
