Here's what i did for wireless WPA(you have three options ):
 
A)
vim /etc/network/interfaces
add
auto wlan0
iface wlan0 inet dhcp
        wpa-driver wext
        wpa-conf /etc/wpa_supplicant/wpa_supplicant.conf
(the only issue is it leaves you're hard drive in a bad state i.g.
device resource busy when shutting down);


B) 

auto wlan0
iface wlan0 inet dhcp
wpa-ssid  ?
wpa-bssid ?
wpa-psk ????????????????
wpa-key-mgmt  ?
wpa-group ?
wpa-pairwise ?
wpa-proto ?

(this is nicer than "A" due to no device or resource busy
when shutting down);
more options are in /usr/share/doc/wpasupplicant/README.Debian


C)
vim /etc/network/interfaces
(comment and take everything out);

below info was taken from:
http://mail.gnome.org/archives/networkmanager-list/2008-July/msg00239.html
(I give them all the credit);
create a file that has this in it:

[802-11-wireless-security]
 key-mgmt=none
 wep-tx-keyidx=0
 auth-alg=open
 wep-key0=33b7af2400ba80f060f144e195
psk= ????????????????????
 [connection]
 id=Wireless connection 1
 type=802-11-wireless
 autoconnect=true
 timestamp=0

 [802-11-wireless]
 ssid=102;111;111;98;97;114;
 mode=infrastructure
 channel=0
 rate=0
 tx-power=0
 mtu=0
 security=802-11-wireless-security

 [ipv4]
 method=manual
 addresses1=192.168.1.2;24;192.168.1.1;
 routes1=192.168.1.2;24;192.168.1.1;
 ignore-dhcp-dns=false

then put this file in:

/etc/NetworkManager/system-connections/""

chmod 0400 "filenamethatyoucreated"

reboot

you should have internet during boot
with all of you're info reliably.


if you get confused you can always use

nm-system-settings 
and
NetworkManager to test you're key file

to make sure it's working.

heres the finished results:

NetworkManager: <info>  starting... 
NetworkManager: <info>  wlan0: driver is 'ath9k'. 
NetworkManager: <info>  wlan0: driver supports SSID scans (scan_capa 0x01). 
NetworkManager: <info>  Found new 802.11 WiFi device 'wlan0'. 
NetworkManager: <info>  (wlan0): exported as /org/freedesktop/Hal/devices/net_00_19_e3_06_2c_16 
NetworkManager: <info>  Trying to start the supplicant... 
NetworkManager: <info>  Trying to start the system settings daemon... 
nm-system-settings: Loaded plugin keyfile: (c) 2007 - 2008 Red Hat, Inc.  To report bugs please use the NetworkManager mailing list.
nm-system-settings:    SCPlugin-Ifupdown: init!
nm-system-settings:    SCPlugin-Ifupdown: update_system_hostname
nm-system-settings:    SCPluginIfupdown: management mode: managed
nm-system-settings:    SCPlugin-Ifupdown: devices added (udi: /org/freedesktop/Hal/devices/net_00_19_e3_06_2c_16, iface: wlan0)
nm-system-settings:    SCPlugin-Ifupdown: end _init.
nm-system-settings: Loaded plugin ifupdown: (C) 2008 Canonical Ltd.  To report bugs please use the NetworkManager mailing list.
nm-system-settings:    SCPlugin-Ifupdown: (134630400) ... get_connections.
nm-system-settings:    SCPlugin-Ifupdown: (134630400) connections count: 0
NetworkManager: <info>  (wlan0): supplicant manager is now in state 1 (from 0). 
NetworkManager: <info>  (wlan0): device state change: 1 -> 2 
NetworkManager: <info>  (wlan0): bringing up device. 
NetworkManager: <info>  (wlan0): preparing device. 
NetworkManager: <info>  (wlan0): deactivating device (reason: 2). 
NetworkManager: <info>  (wlan0): device state change: 2 -> 3 
NetworkManager: <info>  (wlan0): supplicant interface state change: 1 -> 2. 
NetworkManager: <info>  Activation (wlan0) starting connection 'ssid' 
NetworkManager: <info>  (wlan0): device state change: 3 -> 4 
NetworkManager: <info>  Activation (wlan0) Stage 1 of 5 (Device Prepare) scheduled... 
NetworkManager: <info>  Activation (wlan0) Stage 1 of 5 (Device Prepare) started... 
NetworkManager: <info>  Activation (wlan0) Stage 2 of 5 (Device Configure) scheduled... 
NetworkManager: <info>  Activation (wlan0) Stage 1 of 5 (Device Prepare) complete. 
NetworkManager: <info>  Activation (wlan0) Stage 2 of 5 (Device Configure) starting... 
NetworkManager: <info>  (wlan0): device state change: 4 -> 5 
NetworkManager: <info>  Activation (wlan0/wireless): access point 'ssid' has security, but secrets are required. 
NetworkManager: <info>  (wlan0): device state change: 5 -> 6 
NetworkManager: <info>  Activation (wlan0) Stage 2 of 5 (Device Configure) complete. 
NetworkManager: <info>  Activation (wlan0) Stage 1 of 5 (Device Prepare) scheduled... 
NetworkManager: <info>  Activation (wlan0) Stage 1 of 5 (Device Prepare) started... 
NetworkManager: <info>  (wlan0): device state change: 6 -> 4 
NetworkManager: <info>  Activation (wlan0) Stage 2 of 5 (Device Configure) scheduled... 
NetworkManager: <info>  Activation (wlan0) Stage 1 of 5 (Device Prepare) complete. 
NetworkManager: <info>  Activation (wlan0) Stage 2 of 5 (Device Configure) starting... 
NetworkManager: <info>  (wlan0): device state change: 4 -> 5 
NetworkManager: <info>  Activation (wlan0/wireless): connection 'ssid' has security, and secrets exist.  No new secrets needed. 
NetworkManager: <info>  Config: added 'ssid' value 'ssid' 
NetworkManager: <info>  Config: added 'scan_ssid' value '1' 
NetworkManager: <info>  Config: added 'key_mgmt' value 'WPA-PSK' 
NetworkManager: <info>  Config: added 'psk' value '<omitted>' 
NetworkManager: <info>  Config: added 'proto' value 'WPA RSN' 
NetworkManager: <info>  Config: added 'pairwise' value 'TKIP CCMP' 
NetworkManager: <info>  Config: added 'group' value 'WEP40 WEP104 TKIP CCMP' 
NetworkManager: <info>  Activation (wlan0) Stage 2 of 5 (Device Configure) complete. 
NetworkManager: <info>  (wlan0): supplicant connection state change: 2 -> 0 
NetworkManager: <info>  Config: set interface ap_scan to 1 
NetworkManager: <info>  (wlan0): supplicant connection state change: 0 -> 3 
NetworkManager: <info>  (wlan0): supplicant connection state change: 3 -> 4 
NetworkManager: <info>  (wlan0): supplicant connection state change: 4 -> 5 
NetworkManager: <info>  (wlan0): supplicant connection state change: 5 -> 6 
NetworkManager: <info>  (wlan0): supplicant connection state change: 6 -> 7 
NetworkManager: <info>  Activation (wlan0/wireless) Stage 2 of 5 (Device Configure) successful.  Connected to wireless network 'ssid'. 
NetworkManager: <info>  Activation (wlan0) Stage 3 of 5 (IP Configure Start) scheduled. 
NetworkManager: <info>  Activation (wlan0) Stage 3 of 5 (IP Configure Start) started... 
NetworkManager: <info>  (wlan0): device state change: 5 -> 7 
 NetworkManager: <info>  Activation (wlan0) Beginning DHCP transaction.             
 NetworkManager: <info>  dhclient started with pid 2615 
NetworkManager: <info>  Activation (wlan0) Stage 3 of 5 (IP Configure Start) complete. 


I found chmod 0400 was the key to making this mechanism
work.
(some reason my psk was being deleted when starting NetworkManager
every reboot)

regards;

Justin P. Mattock