cant connect to wifi with a Hamlet HNWU254G wifi usb key

Can you give the output of:

sudo lshw -C network; lsusb

Thanks

*-network
       description: Ethernet interface
       product: 88E8001 Gigabit Ethernet Controller
       vendor: Marvell Technology Group Ltd.
       physical id: 3
       bus info: pci@0000:01:03.0
       logical name: eth0
       version: 13
       serial: 00:17:31:3e:e3:35
       size: 100MB/s
       capacity: 1GB/s
       width: 32 bits
       clock: 66MHz
       capabilities: pm vpd bus_master cap_list rom ethernet physical tp 10bt 10bt-fd 100bt 100bt-fd 1000bt 1000bt-fd autonegotiation
       configuration: autonegotiation=on broadcast=yes driver=skge driverversion=1.13 duplex=full firmware=N/A ip=192.168.1.208 latency=64 link=yes maxlatency=31 mingnt=23 multicast=yes port=twisted pair speed=100MB/s
       resources: irq:19 memory:cdef8000-cdefbfff ioport:b000(size=256) memory:40400000-4041ffff(prefetchable)
  *-network
       description: Wireless interface
       physical id: 1
       logical name: wlan0
       serial: 00:12:0e:88:ea:01
       capabilities: ethernet physical wireless
       configuration: broadcast=yes driver=ndiswrapper+rt73 driverversion=1.55+Ralink,01/12/2006, 1.00.04. link=no multicast=yes wireless=IEEE 802.11g
Bus 008 Device 001: ID 1d6b:0001 Linux Foundation 1.1 root hub
Bus 007 Device 001: ID 1d6b:0001 Linux Foundation 1.1 root hub
Bus 006 Device 001: ID 1d6b:0001 Linux Foundation 1.1 root hub
Bus 005 Device 001: ID 1d6b:0001 Linux Foundation 1.1 root hub
Bus 004 Device 002: ID 04d9:1603 Holtek Semiconductor, Inc.
Bus 004 Device 001: ID 1d6b:0001 Linux Foundation 1.1 root hub
Bus 003 Device 001: ID 1d6b:0001 Linux Foundation 1.1 root hub
Bus 002 Device 007: ID 07b8:b21d D-Link Corp. RT2573
Bus 002 Device 003: ID 05e3:0608 Genesys Logic, Inc. USB-2.0 4-Port HUB
Bus 002 Device 001: ID 1d6b:0002 Linux Foundation 2.0 root hub
Bus 001 Device 003: ID 058f:6362 Alcor Micro Corp. Hi-Speed 21-in-1 Flash Card Reader/Writer (Internal/External)
Bus 001 Device 001: ID 1d6b:0002 Linux Foundation 2.0 root hub

ok looks good. Can you give the output of:

sudo iwlist scan | head -n 20

Thanks

lo Interface doesn't support scanning.

eth0 Interface doesn't support scanning.

wlan0 Scan completed :
          Cell 01 - Address: 00:25:53:14:D8:08
                    ESSID:"Alice-54772201"
                    Protocol:IEEE 802.11g
                    Mode:Managed
                    Frequency:2.412 GHz (Channel 1)
                    Quality:100/100 Signal level:-32 dBm Noise level:-96 dBm
                    Encryption key:on
                    Bit Rates:1 Mb/s; 2 Mb/s; 5.5 Mb/s; 11 Mb/s; 18 Mb/s
                              24 Mb/s; 36 Mb/s; 54 Mb/s; 6 Mb/s; 9 Mb/s
                              12 Mb/s; 48 Mb/s
                    Extra:bcn_int=100
                    Extra:atim=0
                    IE: WPA Version 1
                        Group Cipher : TKIP
                        Pairwise Ciphers (1) : TKIP
                        Authentication Suites (1) : PSK
          Cell 02 - Address: 00:17:C2:38:17:43
                    ESSID:"Alice-47942382"
                    Protocol:IEEE 802.11g

ok cool so its finding ESSIDs which is good. If you use a wired connection and get updated. Does it help?

no not at all I really am at a loss, I tried sudo update and get apt commands etc but all it does and is still sitting there and is now blinking in situte in usb... I obviously tried disconnecting of the wired connection in case there was a simple problem with that but it just didn't connect to the net or L A N OR WHATEVER....... Needless to say countless google enquires and various commands on the command line have just lead me to finally seeking help. I do appreciate your efforts thanks..... WCID network manager says it doesn't detect a wireless network, but there is a net work as I have another computer Win O/S running on it with no problem on its own in built wifi system..I took a look into the router but didn't really see any protocol problems there...

In wicd, is the wireless interface defined as wlan0 ?

No it doesn't detect any wireless network, the message is wireless network is not detected....and in any other application on Ubuntu ie network it doesn't see anything either! I expect there is something I haven't done?

No, in the configuration of wicd, is the device set as wlan0 ?

I noticed your lshw output mentions RT73 which got me to this:
http://wiki.archlinux.org/index.php/RT73_Wireless

Native driver...may work..

I have been down that road but when it comes to downloading the driver and I just tried it all again the site for the driver gives a 404 message site not found........so it looks like I'm stuck with a useless wifi usb key pain in the _ _ _. I actually quite enjoy the challenge and the thrill of the chase but some of this long winded farting around on Linux does tend to get just a bit tedious, however after about 11 hours of trying and no progress this far I dunno what else to do!!

Thanks once again for your efforts to help!!!

this is now getting to the stage where i was when I asked the question here..complicated..I did say I needed an idiots guide and now i find I'm down the road of acronyms and other techno data which is going right over my head I have network tools and another application or two all of which I fiddled about with before I got to the stage of asking the question here...I suppose being dim is a hazard with ubuntu and linux in general.....

Looks Like Mission Impossible after all then! At least I can take some comfort from the fact that it's not just me struggling..Thanks for the help folks

Urrrah Cracked it myself in the end!!! maybe not so dim after all....The suggestion about the driver was good but where i was falling short was on set up basically. after thinking about the way of (windows) scuse the swearing) it was a case of setting up an ad hoc network that triggered the necessary ramble through the net work set up prcedures the symbol blinked into life and a couple of pass words and other bits and it has finally come to life.... So a big thanks to you in particular ACTION PARSNIP for taking both the time and trouble case closed.......