Posto la risposta di dmegs e il log, nella speranza che qualcuno mi dica se c'è qualcosa che non va
Non ho ancora risolto

dmegs
ipw2200: Intel(R) PRO/Wireless 2200/2915 Network Driver, 1.1.2kmpr
ipw2200: Copyright(c) 2003-2006 Intel Corporation
ipw2200: Detected Intel PRO/Wireless 2200BG Network Connection
ipw2200: Radio Frequency Kill Switch is On:
ipw2200: Detected geography ZZM (11 802.11bg channels, 0 802.11a channels)

var/log/messages
Dec 2 00:05:08 localhost kernel: ieee80211: 802.11 data/management/control stack, git-1.1.13
Dec 2 00:05:08 localhost kernel: ieee80211: Copyright (C) 2004-2005 Intel Corporation <jketreno@linux.intel.com>
Dec 2 00:05:08 localhost kernel: ipw2200: Intel(R) PRO/Wireless 2200/2915 Network Driver, 1.1.2kmpr
Dec 2 00:05:08 localhost kernel: ipw2200: Copyright(c) 2003-2006 Intel Corporation
Dec 2 00:05:08 localhost kernel: ACPI: PCI Interrupt 0000:06:03.0[A] -> GSI 17 (level, low) -> IRQ 17
Dec 2 00:05:08 localhost kernel: ipw2200: Detected Intel PRO/Wireless 2200BG Network Connection
Dec 2 00:05:08 localhost kernel: ipw2200: Radio Frequency Kill Switch is On:
Dec 2 00:05:08 localhost kernel: Kill switch must be turned off for wireless networking to work.
Dec 2 00:05:08 localhost kernel: ipw2200: Detected geography ZZM (11 802.11bg channels, 0 802.11a channels)
Dec 2 00:05:08 localhost kernel: eth1: NETDEV_TX_BUSY returned; driver should report queue full via ieee_device->is_queue_full.
Dec 2 00:05:08 localhost ifplugd(eth1)[5545]: ifplugd 0.28 initializing.
Dec 2 00:05:08 localhost ifplugd(eth1)[5545]: Using interface eth1/00:13:CE:27A:F7 with driver <ipw2200> (version: 1.1.2kmpr)
Dec 2 00:05:08 localhost ifplugd(eth1)[5545]: Using detection mode: SIOCETHTOOL
Dec 2 00:05:08 localhost ifplugd(eth1)[5545]: Initialization complete, link beat not detected.