https://wiki.ubuntu.com/LaptopTestingTeam/AcerAspire3023 on this laptop, I need to modprobe the acer-acpi module with an wireless=1 option. I put it into /etc/modprobe.d/acer_acpi file, containing "options acer-acpi wireless=1' and then the wi-fi is enabled always. 

This is what is added to /var/log/syslog when the wifi button is pressed (acer-acpi modprobe'd with wireless=1 option)

Jun  5 23:02:23 lukasz-laptop kernel: [ 4759.160188] atkbd.c: Unknown key released (translated set 2, code 0x55 on isa0060/serio0).
Jun  5 23:02:23 lukasz-laptop kernel: [ 4759.160199] atkbd.c: Use 'setkeycodes 55 <keycode>' to make it known.
Jun  5 23:02:23 lukasz-laptop kernel: [ 4759.160320] atkbd.c: Unknown key released (translated set 2, code 0x55 on isa0060/serio0).
Jun  5 23:02:23 lukasz-laptop kernel: [ 4759.160326] atkbd.c: Use 'setkeycodes 55 <keycode>' to make it known.
Jun  5 23:02:27 lukasz-laptop kernel: [ 4762.776658] wlan0: No ProbeResp from current AP[mac] - assume out of range
Jun  5 23:02:27 lukasz-laptop NetworkManager: <info>  Supplicant state changed: 0 
Jun  5 23:02:27 lukasz-laptop kernel: [ 4762.944500] b43-phy0: Radio turned on by software
Jun  5 23:02:28 lukasz-laptop kernel: [ 4763.693386] wlan0: Initial auth_alg=0
Jun  5 23:02:28 lukasz-laptop kernel: [ 4763.693400] wlan0: authenticate with AP [mac]
Jun  5 23:02:28 lukasz-laptop kernel: [ 4763.694907] wlan0: RX authentication from [mac] (alg=0 transaction=2 status=0)
Jun  5 23:02:28 lukasz-laptop kernel: [ 4763.694917] wlan0: authenticated
Jun  5 23:02:28 lukasz-laptop kernel: [ 4763.694923] wlan0: associate with AP [mac]
Jun  5 23:02:28 lukasz-laptop kernel: [ 4763.736066] wlan0: RX ReassocResp from [mac] (capab=0x411 status=0 aid=1)
Jun  5 23:02:28 lukasz-laptop kernel: [ 4763.736076] wlan0: associated
Jun  5 23:02:28 lukasz-laptop kernel: [ 4763.736084] wlan0: switched to short barker preamble (BSSID=[mac])
Jun  5 23:02:28 lukasz-laptop NetworkManager: <info>  Supplicant state changed: 1 

Upon modprobe'ing the acer-acpi module with debug=2 option :
Jun  5 23:13:27 lukasz-laptop kernel: [ 5489.107590] acer_acpi: Acer Laptop ACPI Extras version 0.11.1
Jun  5 23:13:27 lukasz-laptop kernel: [ 5489.107609] acer_acpi: Detected Acer AMW0 version 2 interface
Jun  5 23:13:27 lukasz-laptop kernel: [ 5489.108213] acer_acpi:   Args: 0x00009610 0x0000a235 0x00000000 0x00000000
Jun  5 23:13:27 lukasz-laptop kernel: [ 5489.108219] acer_acpi: Wireless hardware available - enabling
Jun  5 23:13:27 lukasz-laptop kernel: [ 5489.108724] acer_acpi:   Args: 0x00009610 0x00000234 0x00000000 0x00000000
Jun  5 23:13:27 lukasz-laptop kernel: [ 5489.109212] acer_acpi:   Args: 0x00000086 0x00000000 0x00000000 0x00000000
Jun  5 23:13:27 lukasz-laptop kernel: [ 5489.109217] acer_acpi: Mail LED available - enabling
Jun  5 23:13:27 lukasz-laptop kernel: [ 5489.109221] acer_acpi: Finding quirks
Jun  5 23:13:27 lukasz-laptop kernel: [ 5489.109224] acer_acpi: Looking for quirks
Jun  5 23:13:27 lukasz-laptop kernel: [ 5489.109235] acer_acpi: No quirks known for this laptop
Jun  5 23:13:27 lukasz-laptop kernel: [ 5489.125272] Registered led device: acer_acpi:mail
Jun  5 23:13:27 lukasz-laptop kernel: [ 5489.125281] acer_acpi: Loading backlight driver
Jun  5 23:13:27 lukasz-laptop kernel: [ 5489.127054] acer_acpi:   get_u32: cap=8, value=3225409536
Jun  5 23:13:27 lukasz-laptop kernel: [ 5489.127062] acer_acpi:   AMW0_get_u32: cap=8
Jun  5 23:13:27 lukasz-laptop kernel: [ 5489.150044] acer_acpi:   set_u32: cap=8, value=8
Jun  5 23:13:27 lukasz-laptop kernel: [ 5489.160100] acer_acpi: Driver registered
Jun  5 23:13:27 lukasz-laptop kernel: [ 5489.160112] acer_acpi: Commandline args: mailled(-1) wireless(1) bluetooth(-1) brightness(-1)
Jun  5 23:13:27 lukasz-laptop kernel: [ 5489.160119] acer_acpi:   set_u32: cap=1, value=4294967295
Jun  5 23:13:27 lukasz-laptop kernel: [ 5489.160124] acer_acpi:   set_u32: cap=2, value=1
Jun  5 23:13:27 lukasz-laptop kernel: [ 5489.167990] acer_acpi:   Args: 0x00009610 0x00000135 0x00000000 0x00000000
Jun  5 23:13:27 lukasz-laptop kernel: [ 5489.167996] acer_acpi:   set_u32: cap=4, value=4294967295
Jun  5 23:13:27 lukasz-laptop kernel: [ 5489.168001] acer_acpi:   set_u32: cap=16, value=4294967295
Jun  5 23:13:27 lukasz-laptop kernel: [ 5489.168006] acer_acpi:   set_u32: cap=64, value=4294967295
Jun  5 23:13:27 lukasz-laptop kernel: [ 5489.168010] acer_acpi:   set_u32: cap=8, value=4294967295
Jun  5 23:13:27 lukasz-laptop NetworkManager: <debug> [1212704007.648742] nm_hal_device_added(): New device added (hal udi is '/org/freedesktop/Hal/devices/platform_acer_acpi'). 
Jun  5 23:13:27 lukasz-laptop NetworkManager: <debug> [1212704007.680457] nm_hal_device_added(): New device added (hal udi is '/org/freedesktop/Hal/devices/computer_backlight'). 

dmesg after modprobe acer-acpi debug=2 and no wireless option specified 

[ 5835.019373] acer_acpi: Acer Laptop ACPI Extras version 0.11.1
[ 5835.019391] acer_acpi: Detected Acer AMW0 version 2 interface
[ 5835.019991] acer_acpi:   Args: 0x00009610 0x0000a235 0x00000000 0x00000000
[ 5835.019996] acer_acpi: Wireless hardware available - enabling
[ 5835.020497] acer_acpi:   Args: 0x00009610 0x00000234 0x00000000 0x00000000
[ 5835.[ 5835.021019] acer_acpi: Mail LED available - enabling
[ 5835.021023] acer_acpi: Finding quirks
[ 5835.021026] acer_acpi: Looking for quirks
[ 5835.021037] acer_acpi: No quirks known for this laptop
[ 5835.037189] Registered led device: acer_acpi:mail
[ 5835.037199] acer_acpi: Loading backlight driver
[ 5835.038876] acer_acpi:   get_u32: cap=8, value=3225409536
[ 5835.038884] acer_acpi:   AMW0_get_u32: cap=8
[ 5835.066482] acer_acpi:   set_u32: cap=8, value=8
[ 5835.080685] acer_acpi: Driver registered
[ 5835.080698] acer_acpi: Commandline args: mailled(-1) wireless(-1) bluetooth(-1) brightness(-1)
[ 5835.080705] acer_acpi:   set_u32: cap=1, value=4294967295
[ 5835.080710] acer_acpi:   set_u32: cap=2, value=4294967295
[ 5835.080715] acer_acpi:   set_u32: cap=4, value=4294967295
[ 5835.080719] acer_acpi:   set_u32: cap=16, value=4294967295
[ 5835.080724] acer_acpi:   set_u32: cap=64, value=4294967295
[ 5835.080728] acer_acpi:   set_u32: cap=8, value=4294967295

Also the  b43 reports radio hardware status as disabled.

After modprobing again with wireless=1 :
[ 6016.251945] acer_acpi: Acer Laptop ACPI Extras version 0.11.1
[ 6016.251964] acer_acpi: Detected Acer AMW0 version 2 interface
[ 6016.252571] acer_acpi:   Args: 0x00009610 0x0000a235 0x00000000 0x00000000
[ 6016.252576] acer_acpi: Wireless hardware available - enabling
[ 6016.253082] acer_acpi:   Args: 0x00009610 0x00000234 0x00000000 0x00000000
[ 6016.253610] acer_acpi:   Args: 0x00000086 0x00000000 0x00000000 0x00000000
[ 6016.253615] acer_acpi: Mail LED available - enabling
[ 6016.253619] acer_acpi: Finding quirks
[ 6016.253622] acer_acpi: Looking for quirks
[ 6016.253632] acer_acpi: No quirks known for this laptop
[ 6016.269578] Registered led device: acer_acpi:mail
[ 6016.269588] acer_acpi: Loading backlight driver
[ 6016.271251] acer_acpi:   get_u32: cap=8, value=3225409536
[ 6016.271259] acer_acpi:   AMW0_get_u32: cap=8
[ 6016.293329] acer_acpi:   set_u32: cap=8, value=8
[ 6016.303482] acer_acpi: Driver registered
[ 6016.303495] acer_acpi: Commandline args: mailled(-1) wireless(1) bluetooth(-1) brightness(-1)
[ 6016.303502] acer_acpi:   set_u32: cap=1, value=4294967295
[ 6016.303507] acer_acpi:   set_u32: cap=2, value=1
[ 6016.310660] acer_acpi:   Args: 0x00009610 0x00000135 0x00000000 0x00000000
[ 6016.310666] acer_acpi:   set_u32: cap=4, value=4294967295
[ 6016.310671] acer_acpi:   set_u32: cap=16, value=4294967295
[ 6016.310676] acer_acpi:   set_u32: cap=64, value=4294967295
[ 6016.310680] acer_acpi:   set_u32: cap=8, value=4294967295
[ 6016.653046] b43-phy0: Radio hardware status changed to ENABLED

and the led in the button comes on. 

Please tell me what other information I could provide.