I don't know yet if this report is also valid for an installed system (not LiveCD), but there have been earlier similar reports for an alpha: https://bugzilla.altlinux.org/show_bug.cgi?id=16338 .

It seems that another adapter has a similar problem in this LiveCD (although, unlike in the case of ipw2200, the interface is visible to the system):

# egrep 'firmware|iwl|wifi|wireless' -r /var/log/
/var/log/syslog/messages:Dec 21 20:28:31 localhost NetworkManager: <info>  wlan0: Device is fully-supported using driver 'iwl3945'.
/var/log/syslog/messages:Dec 21 20:28:31 localhost NetworkManager: <info>  Found new wireless (802.11) device 'wlan0'.
/var/log/syslog/messages:Dec 21 20:28:36 localhost firmware.sh[5294]: Cannot find  firmware file 'iwlwifi-3945-1.ucode'
/var/log/syslog/messages:Dec 21 20:28:36 localhost firmware.sh[5308]: Cannot find  firmware file 'iwlwifi-3945-1.ucode'
/var/log/syslog/messages:Dec 21 21:09:29 localhost firmware.sh[8928]: Cannot find  firmware file 'iwlwifi-3945-1.ucode'
/var/log/syslog/messages:Dec 21 21:09:29 localhost firmware.sh[8947]: Cannot find  firmware file 'iwlwifi-3945-1.ucode'
/var/log/syslog/messages:Dec 21 21:09:29 localhost firmware.sh[8957]: Cannot find  firmware file 'iwlwifi-3945-1.ucode'
/var/log/syslog/messages:Dec 21 21:09:57 localhost firmware.sh[12423]: Cannot find  firmware file 'iwlwifi-3945-1.ucode'
/var/log/syslog/messages:Dec 21 21:09:57 localhost firmware.sh[12442]: Cannot find  firmware file 'iwlwifi-3945-1.ucode'
/var/log/syslog/messages:Dec 21 21:12:30 localhost firmware.sh[14057]: Cannot find  firmware file 'iwlwifi-3945-1.ucode'
/var/log/syslog/messages:Dec 21 21:12:30 localhost firmware.sh[14076]: Cannot find  firmware file 'iwlwifi-3945-1.ucode'
/var/log/daemons/info:Dec 21 20:28:31 localhost NetworkManager: <info>  wlan0: Device is fully-supported using driver 'iwl3945'.
/var/log/daemons/info:Dec 21 20:28:31 localhost NetworkManager: <info>  Found new wireless (802.11) device 'wlan0'.
/var/log/daemons/info:Dec 21 20:28:36 localhost firmware.sh[5294]: Cannot find  firmware file 'iwlwifi-3945-1.ucode'
/var/log/daemons/info:Dec 21 20:28:36 localhost firmware.sh[5308]: Cannot find  firmware file 'iwlwifi-3945-1.ucode'
/var/log/daemons/info:Dec 21 21:09:29 localhost firmware.sh[8928]: Cannot find  firmware file 'iwlwifi-3945-1.ucode'
/var/log/daemons/info:Dec 21 21:09:29 localhost firmware.sh[8947]: Cannot find  firmware file 'iwlwifi-3945-1.ucode'
/var/log/daemons/info:Dec 21 21:09:29 localhost firmware.sh[8957]: Cannot find  firmware file 'iwlwifi-3945-1.ucode'
/var/log/daemons/info:Dec 21 21:09:57 localhost firmware.sh[12423]: Cannot find  firmware file 'iwlwifi-3945-1.ucode'
/var/log/daemons/info:Dec 21 21:09:57 localhost firmware.sh[12442]: Cannot find  firmware file 'iwlwifi-3945-1.ucode'
/var/log/daemons/info:Dec 21 21:12:30 localhost firmware.sh[14057]: Cannot find  firmware file 'iwlwifi-3945-1.ucode'
/var/log/daemons/info:Dec 21 21:12:30 localhost firmware.sh[14076]: Cannot find  firmware file 'iwlwifi-3945-1.ucode'
/var/log/dmesg:iwl3945: Intel(R) PRO/Wireless 3945ABG/BG Network Connection driver for Linux, 1.2.26ks
/var/log/dmesg:iwl3945: Copyright(c) 2003-2008 Intel Corporation
/var/log/dmesg:iwl3945: Detected Intel Wireless WiFi Link 3945ABG
/var/log/dmesg:iwl3945: Tunable channels: 13 802.11bg, 23 802.11a channels
/var/log/dmesg:phy0: Selected rate control algorithm 'iwl-3945-rs'
/var/log/messages:Dec 21 20:28:31 localhost NetworkManager: <info>  wlan0: Device is fully-supported using driver 'iwl3945'.
/var/log/messages:Dec 21 20:28:31 localhost NetworkManager: <info>  Found new wireless (802.11) device 'wlan0'.
/var/log/messages:Dec 21 20:28:36 localhost firmware.sh[5294]: Cannot find  firmware file 'iwlwifi-3945-1.ucode'
/var/log/messages:Dec 21 20:28:36 localhost firmware.sh[5308]: Cannot find  firmware file 'iwlwifi-3945-1.ucode'
/var/log/messages:Dec 21 21:09:29 localhost firmware.sh[8928]: Cannot find  firmware file 'iwlwifi-3945-1.ucode'
/var/log/messages:Dec 21 21:09:29 localhost firmware.sh[8947]: Cannot find  firmware file 'iwlwifi-3945-1.ucode'
/var/log/messages:Dec 21 21:09:29 localhost firmware.sh[8957]: Cannot find  firmware file 'iwlwifi-3945-1.ucode'
/var/log/messages:Dec 21 21:09:57 localhost firmware.sh[12423]: Cannot find  firmware file 'iwlwifi-3945-1.ucode'
/var/log/messages:Dec 21 21:09:57 localhost firmware.sh[12442]: Cannot find  firmware file 'iwlwifi-3945-1.ucode'
/var/log/messages:Dec 21 21:12:30 localhost firmware.sh[14057]: Cannot find  firmware file 'iwlwifi-3945-1.ucode'
/var/log/messages:Dec 21 21:12:30 localhost firmware.sh[14076]: Cannot find  firmware file 'iwlwifi-3945-1.ucode'
[root@localhost ~]# 

(In reply to comment #2)
> It seems that another adapter has a similar problem in this LiveCD (although,

Yes, as far as I can see, it doesn't work:

# ifup wlan0
SIOCSIFFLAGS: No such file or directory
Could not set interface 'wlan0' UP
ioctl[SIOCSIWAUTH]: Operation not supported
WEXT auth param 4 value 0x0 - ctrl_iface exists and seems to be in use - cannot override it
Delete '/var/run/wpa_supplicant/wlan0' manually if it is not used anymore
Failed to initialize control interface '/var/run/wpa_supplicant'.
You may have another wpa_supplicant process already running or the file was
left by an unclean termination of wpa_supplicant in which case you will need
to manually remove this file before starting wpa_supplicant again.

ioctl[SIOCSIWAUTH]: Operation not supported
WEXT auth param 4 value 0x0 - [root@localhost ~]# iwlist scan
lo        Interface doesn't support scanning.

eth0      Interface doesn't support scanning.

wmaster0  Interface doesn't support scanning.

wlan0     Interface doesn't support scanning : Network is down

[root@localhost ~]#


> unlike in the case of ipw2200, the interface is visible to
> the system):

Поддержка дистрибутива завершена. Используйте новые версии.