I have to wait until the friend with the laptop comes back, perhaps this week.
Then I can look what wireless card is in it.
However, now I remember me: that laptop worked only good since 2.6.39 with the
new kernel-embedded modules. Before, it didn't work normally, i.e. on booting
the wireless almost never didn't switch on; only ocasionally .
And, beside of kernel 2.6.39, and the normal wifi software, I still had him to
install a file iwlwifi-1000-3.ucode or .5 ucode (i'm not sure, the number can
also be 5000), and I had the problem to search long time for that file because
one find only .2 or .4 in internet but what don't work at that wifi card. You
could improve the kernel-module so that everything is included so that one don't
need to search such files.
Then, with this kernel and that file however, it worked without any problem.
I hope from these informations you can find out what wifi card or what driver is
in the laptop.