Ndiswrapper and the ASCII WEP key
Using Ndiswrapper under Ubuntu is fun! Really easy to configure and install. My AP is in ASCII WEP code mode, so I just need the following commands to make it work:
iwconfig wlan0 essid APNAME
iwconfig wlan0 key restricted s:THEPASSWORD
The *nix way. I love it.
Update: if you plug in the USB wifi device after the bootup procedure, it'll not load the drivers. You must say ifup wlan0
to active it.