"if at all" is an indication of not working. Your very first post said the
same. The question is whether it works (ie, _reliably_) when you use
"dhclient ath0", which you've twice implied it does. Stop going off on
tangents and just answer the questions!
No. It is not reliable. It barely works. Yes, there is an internet connexion. No, it is not tollerable. Example. I ask synaptic to reload (apt-get update). It will take a LONG time to connect to the, say, debian repository. Once it connects to the repository, it will download the headers at a normal ADSL speed. No problem. It's the connecting that is the problem: A given programme will never connect on the first shot to a given web related thing (Gaim, Gnutella, Firefox, Synaptic et cetera). Please say that this answers the questions: We REALLY need to get this part straight. :-) Tis is a simple case of misinterpretation. No problem.
I give up. DNS doesn't work that way. SO REMOVE IT. I promise you it will
make NO difference, but it's obviously the only thing you'll trust. It
will get changed back next time you configure an interface, but it'll stay
however you set it long enough to prove it makes no difference.
ALRIGHT. It's forgotten. No problems, yes?