Help!!! Acer wireless problem

amy

Hi guys and gals,
I am extremmely troubled by the problem of not being able to establish a connection via wireless. I have an Acer Aspire 5020 w/ a broadcom 802.11b/g wireless. For my first kick at the cat with Linux I am running  4.07. I am getting a valid IP address from my router However, firefox and evlotion do not connect.
What am I doing wrong? My knowledge of programing is limited, so if any advise is given, plse do not skip steps. I want to learn on what I am doing, to enable myself and others to fix our own problems and not be a pain in everyones asses.

Thanks for the advice in advance.