Wireless card driver help.

[Xx-Vital-Signs-xX]

ok. i have a linksys instant access ver3 wireless card, i just recently formated and re installes windows on my old laptop (compaq prespario 2100 *gag*) so i know i need to get the driver for it. so i conected it to the internet, via ethernet and i inserted the card. the new hardware wizzard comes up and it conects to the windoes live update to find a driver, but it dosent find one. (and i know i am connected to the internet bc i can go to HTS ) so i go on the internet and manually look for the driver, i found it, but it is a weird Linksys conection program where i have to put in the ip, conection name, and default gateway. and it never works, it says no acociation with AP. (and i did put everything right. ) so all i want ( i dont know what its calld, but its the windows xp wireless default conection app) is the default wireless conection application. i want to conect to any conection, like any other laptop, not just my router.and i now i can do that, because thats what i was doing before i reformated my laptop. what do i do?