Question : Problem: mac wireless problem - there was an error joining the airport network xxx

I have been given an Apple Macintosh Macbook Pro by a client. It is a 17'' dual Core Model which is quite new.
Unfortunately, it is having issues connecting to any wireless networks. It can see them, but whenever I try to connect to one I get the message 'error connecting to the airport network ...'

a) why does it say the 'airport' network? is 'airport' just the mac name for 'wireless'? If not, that may be the problem because the networks i'm testing are belkin / buffalo / linksys wireless access points.

b) I have trawled google and tried all the known fixes for this, including PRAM, holding the command key when selecting the network, clearing the keychain, rebooting, turning on and off the airport, changing the channels and updating the firmware of the routers, setting DHCP with manual address on the mac etc...

c) I have installed the latest updates to the mac software and the airport by connecting the device via ethernet to the internet

d) when I look at the card in the config, it says 802.11d, which doesn't seem to be a, b or g. I've googled this but haven't come up with a satisfactory reason, or whether or not it may be affecting the connection...

it's really doing my head in, and as I can't find a solution anywhere, I'm hoping there's enough of a genius around to help me sort it. Oh, and i've taken the machine apart and reseated the card before anyone suggests that...

Thanks in advance!

Answer : Problem: mac wireless problem - there was an error joining the airport network xxx

I had a crack at at it but it has been a long day so better re read it yourself. It sounds as if you want this card to operate in ad hoc mode not infrastructure mode. While it seems as if it tries to get out of infrastructure mode if such was set,  still the regulatory   info is stored in the eprom if it goes into into infrastructure mode and it only takes one mode at a time. So if this card had been set in a particular domain in infrastructure mode then the eprom needs to be cleared to get it back to pure default ad hoc mode.
Whew! At least I think that it what it was saying. So if this was a pc, I would just reflash the card. http://www.apple.com/downloads/macosx/apple/firmware_hardware/airportextremeupdate2007004.html
I think this is it.