Firewire support? Need help.

I recently installed a firewire card in my desktop running Simply3.3. I have yet to get it working, and am finding very few posts here or in Mepislovers that help. I have an iPod and a video camera that are firewire and neither work.
The card has an ALi M5271 chip, which has one 'does not work for me' in linux1394.org...maybe the chip is the problem.
I just burned and ran a 3.4.1 disc, and couldn't get it working there either.
In Kinfo-center, the IEEE1394 section is empty.

I could use some help!

windmike