debian and rt2870 wifi adapters

First please understand I'm writing this as I go through wifi on a 
TalkingArch linux system.
Second, I do have a laptop with debian on it that used to connect to the 
internet using ethernet.
In preparation for the move to wifi, I downloaded the nonfree rt2870 
firmware.

Debian insisted on it for the tower computer in fact.
I did none of this for TalkingArch.
I never did manage to get debian installed on the tower or laptop to get 
out to the internet on wifi.
That was after reading all of the misinformation on the web too.
When I tried a reinstall of debian on the laptop with the firmware distro, 
the firmware distro actred like none of the firmware was on the dvd.  True 
I used an Acer Aspire 5003 notebook and the tower was real amd k8 athelon 
technology.
Debian's web content when it isn't misinformation is outdated.  The 
article I read on configuring one of these adapters wanted to use wext 
protocol for communications.  I have a netgear router and it doesn't do 
wext and that article offered no alternatives nor any way to find what 
alternatives are available locally.
For that reason, in order to get the notebook out on the internet 
TalkingArch will replace Debian on that notebook too.
Same wifi adapter and I probably don't have these problems with that 
reinstall either.



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