and no, manually setting up that broadcast SSID as WPA2-PSK AES does not work, it refuses to ever connect. trying to connect with the WEP setup using the same passphrase... seems to attach, but there's no internet or local networking, which is very weird
the router is a TP-Link Archer C80 and the card in the W98 laptop is a D-Link DWL-G630 rev. E