Need Network Diagnostics to get online using DWL-G520

[Shunnabunich]

Thanks to juuva's excellent instructions, I was able to get my DWL-G520 rev. B back up to its former level of functionality after I installed some system updates that wiped out my changes. However, I've had one problem all along: I can't get my machine to automatically log onto our home network, nor will simply going through the Airport menu work. The only thing that seems to get me hooked up is to run Network Diagnostics.app (in CoreServices) and walk it through the first couple of steps.

 

OS X: v10.5.8, distro unknown since I bought this Hackintosh from someone else

Motherboard: ASUS IPILP-LC

Processor: Core 2 Duo @ 1.6 GHz

RAM: 2.5 GB (2GB + 512 MB)

Video: nVidia GeForce 9500 GT 1GB (I'm straining to remember if the wireless issue was present before I installed this card or not; I think it was)

Hard Drive: 232.89 GB Seagate ST3250310AS

Network Security: WPA Personal

If any other hardware details are pertinent, ask away and I'll see what I can find.

 

So here's what I've tried/seen so far.

• Simply using the Airport menu doesn't work; the network is listed, but any attempts to connect are met with a "Connection error" message in the password dialog.
  
• Network Diagnostics works if I click through the first step, select my network on the second step and click Continue; it connects after a second or two and Network Diagnostics can be safely closed or force-quitted.
  
• Using juuva's suggested Terminal command, "networksetup -setairportnetwork your_wireless_network_name your_wireless_password", gives me the error "cp: /Library/Preferences/SystemConfiguration/preferences.plist.old: fchmod failed: Operation not permitted" followed by "** Error: Error obtaining wireless information.".
  
• Adding the sudo command only eliminates the first of those errors.
  
• Looking in Console reveals that "SystemUIServer[179] Error joining Harmonic: Connection failed (-4 result unavailable)" appears each time an unsuccessful connection attempt is made.
  

 

I'm afraid I'm not familiar enough with OS X's deep, dark workings to fathom what Network Diagnostics is doing that the regular old Airport login window isn't, or how I might automate such a process transparently. I have other issues (such as not being able to wake from sleep, and not recognizing any USB device that isn't plugged in right from boot time), but this is the only one that really affects my day-to-day use of the system. Thanks in advance for any help you folks can provide!