I have a similar problem with an 8470WD card. ath0 fails to associate.

A simple but inelegant workaround is to do ifdown ath0 followed by ifup ath0

root@hans:/etc/network# dhclient
There is already a pid file /var/run/dhclient.pid with pid 10383
killed old client process, removed PID file
Internet Systems Consortium DHCP Client V3.0.5
Copyright 2004-2006 Internet Systems Consortium.
All rights reserved.
For info, please visit http://www.isc.org/sw/dhcp/

wifi0: unknown hardware address type 801
wifi0: unknown hardware address type 801
Listening on LPF/wifi0/
Sending on   LPF/wifi0/
Listening on LPF/ath0/00:20:a6:52:0c:f2
Sending on   LPF/ath0/00:20:a6:52:0c:f2
Listening on LPF/eth0/00:0d:56:39:cd:ba
Sending on   LPF/eth0/00:0d:56:39:cd:ba
Sending on   Socket/fallback
DHCPDISCOVER on wifi0 to 255.255.255.255 port 67 interval 4
DHCPREQUEST on eth0 to 255.255.255.255 port 67
DHCPACK from 192.168.20.1
bound to 192.168.20.121 -- renewal in 40398 seconds.
root@hans:/etc/network# ping 192.168.20.1
PING 192.168.20.1 (192.168.20.1) 56(84) bytes of data.
From 169.254.7.77 icmp_seq=1 Destination Host Unreachable
From 169.254.7.77 icmp_seq=2 Destination Host Unreachable
From 169.254.7.77 icmp_seq=3 Destination Host Unreachable

--- 192.168.20.1 ping statistics ---
4 packets transmitted, 0 received, +3 errors, 100% packet loss, time 3010ms
, pipe 3
root@hans:/etc/network# ifdown ath0
There is already a pid file /var/run/dhclient.ath0.pid with pid 11747
killed old client process, removed PID file
Internet Systems Consortium DHCP Client V3.0.5
Copyright 2004-2006 Internet Systems Consortium.
All rights reserved.
For info, please visit http://www.isc.org/sw/dhcp/

wifi0: unknown hardware address type 801
wifi0: unknown hardware address type 801
Listening on LPF/ath0/00:20:a6:52:0c:f2
Sending on   LPF/ath0/00:20:a6:52:0c:f2
Sending on   Socket/fallback
DHCPRELEASE on ath0 to 192.168.20.1 port 67
root@hans:/etc/network# ifup ath0
There is already a pid file /var/run/dhclient.ath0.pid with pid 134519120
Internet Systems Consortium DHCP Client V3.0.5
Copyright 2004-2006 Internet Systems Consortium.
All rights reserved.
For info, please visit http://www.isc.org/sw/dhcp/

wifi0: unknown hardware address type 801
wifi0: unknown hardware address type 801
Listening on LPF/ath0/00:20:a6:52:0c:f2
Sending on   LPF/ath0/00:20:a6:52:0c:f2
Sending on   Socket/fallback
DHCPDISCOVER on ath0 to 255.255.255.255 port 67 interval 7
DHCPOFFER from 192.168.20.1
DHCPREQUEST on ath0 to 255.255.255.255 port 67
DHCPACK from 192.168.20.1
bound to 192.168.20.112 -- renewal in 42919 seconds.
root@hans:/etc/network# ping 192.168.20.1
PING 192.168.20.1 (192.168.20.1) 56(84) bytes of data.
64 bytes from 192.168.20.1: icmp_seq=1 ttl=64 time=0.919 ms
64 bytes from 192.168.20.1: icmp_seq=2 ttl=64 time=0.897 ms

--- 192.168.20.1 ping statistics ---
2 packets transmitted, 2 received, 0% packet loss, time 999ms
rtt min/avg/max/mdev = 0.897/0.908/0.919/0.011 ms
root@hans:/etc/network#

There are lots of other atheros bug reports about and lots of recommendations to try various heroics, many of which are harmful.

I do not know where the problem lies.

Usual info follows:

root@hans:~# dmesg | grep ath
[   61.217037] ath_hal: module license 'Proprietary' taints kernel.
[   61.219822] ath_hal: 0.9.18.0 (AR5210, AR5211, AR5212, RF5111, RF5112, RF2413, RF5413)
[   61.386990] ath_pci: 0.9.4.5 (0.9.3.2)
[   62.467268] ath_rate_sample: 1.2 (0.9.3.2)
[   81.461323] ath0: no IPv6 routers present
[12168.900942] ath0: no IPv6 routers present
[13035.286552] ADDRCONF(NETDEV_UP): ath0: link is not ready
[13035.290160] ADDRCONF(NETDEV_CHANGE): ath0: link becomes ready
[13035.714184] ADDRCONF(NETDEV_UP): ath0: link is not ready
[13198.471488] ADDRCONF(NETDEV_UP): ath0: link is not ready
[13198.475483] ADDRCONF(NETDEV_CHANGE): ath0: link becomes ready
[13198.777152] ADDRCONF(NETDEV_UP): ath0: link is not ready
[13532.954192] ADDRCONF(NETDEV_UP): ath0: link is not ready
[13586.918312] ADDRCONF(NETDEV_UP): ath0: link is not ready
[13587.184782] ADDRCONF(NETDEV_UP): ath0: link is not ready
[13588.922832] ADDRCONF(NETDEV_UP): ath0: link is not ready
[14487.358258] ADDRCONF(NETDEV_UP): ath0: link is not ready

root@hans:~# lspci -vvv
03:00.0 Ethernet controller: Atheros Communications, Inc. AR5212/AR5213 Multiprotocol MAC/baseband processor (rev 01)
        Subsystem: PROXIM Inc Unknown device 0a40
        Control: I/O- Mem+ BusMaster+ SpecCycle- MemWINV- VGASnoop- ParErr- Stepping- SERR- FastB2B-
        Status: Cap+ 66MHz- UDF- FastB2B+ ParErr- DEVSEL=medium >TAbort- <TAbort- <MAbort- >SERR- <PERR-
        Latency: 168 (2500ns min, 7000ns max), Cache Line Size: 128 bytes
        Interrupt: pin A routed to IRQ 11
        Region 0: Memory at f8000000 (32-bit, non-prefetchable) [size=64K]
        Capabilities: [44] Power Management version 2
                Flags: PMEClk- DSI- D1- D2- AuxCurrent=375mA PME(D0-,D1-,D2-,D3hot-,D3cold-)
                Status: D0 PME-Enable- DSel=0 DScale=2 PME-


root@hans:~# lsmod | grep ath
ath_rate_sample        14208  1 
ath_pci                98336  0 
wlan                  206660  4 wlan_scan_sta,ath_rate_sample,ath_pci
ath_hal               192720  3 ath_rate_sample,ath_pci

root@hans:~# iwconfig
lo        no wireless extensions.

eth0      no wireless extensions.

wifi0     no wireless extensions.

ath0      IEEE 802.11g  ESSID:""  Nickname:""
          Mode:Managed  Frequency:2.437 GHz  Access Point: Not-Associated   
          Bit Rate:0 kb/s   Tx-Power:18 dBm   Sensitivity=1/1  
          Retry:off   RTS thr:off   Fragment thr:off
          Encryption key:off
          Power Management:off
          Link Quality=0/70  Signal level=-86 dBm  Noise level=-86 dBm
          Rx invalid nwid:474960  Rx invalid crypt:0  Rx invalid frag:0
          Tx excessive retries:0  Invalid misc:0   Missed beacon:0

root@hans:~# iwlist ath0 sca
ath0      Scan completed :
          Cell 01 - Address: 00:18:84:10:6D:79
                    ESSID:"FON_tarvid"
                    Mode:Master
                    Frequency:2.412 GHz (Channel 1)
                    Quality=30/70  Signal level=-65 dBm  Noise level=-95 dBm
                    Encryption key:off
                    Bit Rates:1 Mb/s; 2 Mb/s; 5.5 Mb/s; 11 Mb/s; 6 Mb/s
                              9 Mb/s; 12 Mb/s; 18 Mb/s; 24 Mb/s; 36 Mb/s
                              48 Mb/s; 54 Mb/s
                    Extra:bcn_int=100
                    Extra:wme_ie=dd180050f2020101850002a3400027a4000042435e0062322f00
                    Extra:ath_ie=dd0900037f01010020ff7f
          Cell 02 - Address: 00:0C:E5:4F:89:ED
                    ESSID:"dd-wrt"
                    Mode:Master
                    Frequency:2.437 GHz (Channel 6)
                    Quality=68/70  Signal level=-27 dBm  Noise level=-95 dBm
                    Encryption key:off
                    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
          Cell 03 - Address: 00:16:01:ED:0C:5A
                    ESSID:"dd-wrt"
                    Mode:Master
                    Frequency:2.437 GHz (Channel 6)
                    Quality=73/70  Signal level=-22 dBm  Noise level=-95 dBm
                    Encryption key:off
                    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

http://madwifi.org/ticket/870
Problem solved, Thanks for the help of RANGER@CISS at linuxforums.org. This guy is a GEEK!. What I did was edit /boot/grub/menu.lst and add this line "pci=assign-busses" without the "" next to "splash=verbose showopts" .

kernel /boot/vmlinuz root=/dev/hda2 vga=0x317 resume=/dev/hda1 splash=verbose showopts pci=assign-busses

Rebooted, and insert the Pcmcia card, and its now recognized. Finally![BR]

#lspci -v

03:00.0 Ethernet controller: Atheros Communications, Inc. AR5212 802.11abg NIC (rev 01) Subsystem: PROXIM Inc Unknown device 0a40 Flags: bus master, medium devsel, latency 168, IRQ 185 Memory at 32000000 (32-bit, non-prefetchable) [size=64K] Capabilities: [44] Power Management version 2

#lshal
udi = '/org/freedesktop/Hal/devices/pci_168c_13'
  info.bus = 'pci'  (string)
  info.linux.driver = 'ath_pci'  (string)
  info.parent = '/org/freedesktop/Hal/devices/pci_104c_ac56'  (string)
  info.product = 'AR5212/AR5213 Multiprotocol MAC/baseband processor'  (string)
  info.subsystem = 'pci'  (string)
  info.udi = '/org/freedesktop/Hal/devices/pci_168c_13'  (string)
  info.vendor = 'Atheros Communications, Inc.'  (string)
  linux.hotplug_type = 2  (0x2)  (int)
  linux.subsystem = 'pci'  (string)
  linux.sysfs_path = '/sys/devices/pci0000:00/0000:00:1e.0/0000:02:04.0/0000:03:00.0'  (string)
  pci.device_class = 2  (0x2)  (int)
  pci.device_protocol = 0  (0x0)  (int)
  pci.device_subclass = 0  (0x0)  (int)
  pci.linux.sysfs_path = '/sys/devices/pci0000:00/0000:00:1e.0/0000:02:04.0/0000:03:00.0'  (string)
  pci.product = 'AR5212/AR5213 Multiprotocol MAC/baseband processor'  (string)
  pci.product_id = 19  (0x13)  (int)
  pci.subsys_product_id = 2624  (0xa40)  (int)
  pci.subsys_vendor = 'PROXIM Inc'  (string)
  pci.subsys_vendor_id = 5303  (0x14b7)  (int)
  pci.vendor = 'Atheros Communications, Inc.'  (string)
  pci.vendor_id = 5772  (0x168c)  (int)