Intel 5100 chip fails to connect

I have a 10.3 OpenSuse Thinkpd X40 which works well with my home wifi net; use fixed IP adresses ad adhoc network. Works except the disk is failing…

So I have a new Thinkpad X200s, running 11.1. Problem is wireless net is iffy. Sometimes it connects after few up/down cycles, but the last 3 days it has totally failed. At present I am using the X40 to send this and the X200s is on my right side; one works the other does not.

As far as I can tell it is not associating with the AP. It can see the AP (iwlist scan shows it) but it does not associate. I have tried replacing the ucode to version -2, diabling 11n, and disabling hardware scan (all suggested from some searching) but no improvement

Any other suggestions?

For compeleteness I do not use a network manager, or desktop system. Plain X and typing. Some experiene of systems (>20yr of Unix/Linux), but not too skilled on networks

==John ff