So my (re)searches to date lead me to a decision point based on which Ndiswrapper version Puppy431 uses. It seems I have three possible paths - one of the two referenced here, or abandon Puppy as not the right distro for me.
But first - how do I find out which version of Ndiswrapper is in 431?
OK so I figured that out but if 431 uses ndis v1.55 and sourceforge is giving options for 1.6 and 1.7+ does that mean I'm screwed?
Having to compile stuff sure seems counter to Puppy goals - wireless connectivity being fundamental for a laptop and all. G132 is now working.
UPDATE -->>
I found this and with Network Manager was able to get the adapter working but the router failed to DCHP a working IP address. Eventually I fixed it by re-booting the router.