no matter what i do, i get invalid password.  here's some packets, maybe you can see what's wrong.

here's response for bnet packet 0x53, with the 2nd 4 bytes specifying i pass cd key and version check
IN:
ff 53 48 00 00 00 00 00 fb 58 b2 5e 90 df 7d 11  .SH......X.^..}.
d0 b2 15 cb 5e 4c 37 b3 d7 60 d5 8c 95 91 df 20  ....^L7..`......
68 43 ee 88 e8 af bc c8 39 6c 9a 2f 8e 61 e0 ee  hC......9l./.a..
fd 10 13 f8 b1 db 5c 28 8e 18 61 6d 82 dd b0 6a  ......\(..am...j
eb 1a 01 8b 3a e5 55 c8                          ....:.U.

this is sending out packet 0x03 to bnls, with the 16 dwords from the previous as specified in bnetdocs
OUT:
43 00 03 fb 58 b2 5e 90 df 7d 11 d0 b2 15 cb 5e  C...X.^..}.....^
4c 37 b3 d7 60 d5 8c 95 91 df 20 68 43 ee 88 e8  L7..`......hC...
af bc c8 39 6c 9a 2f 8e 61 e0 ee fd 10 13 f8 b1  ...9l./.a.......
db 5c 28 8e 18 61 6d 82 dd b0 6a eb 1a 01 8b 3a  .\(..am...j....:
e5 55 c8                                         .U.             

this is the response from bnls packet 0x03 with the 5 dwords supposedly necessary for bnet packet 0x54
IN:
17 00 03 c7 35 04 b0 e4 20 3e be 7a ce 6d 3f 75  ....5....>.z.m?u
78 fd 05 5f fa 88 d0                             x.._...         

this is me sending out bnet packet 0x54 with the 5 dwords from bnls put in as specified
OUT:
ff 54 18 00 c7 35 04 b0 e4 20 3e be 7a ce 6d 3f  .T...5....>.z.m?
75 78 fd 05 5f fa 88 d0                          ux.._...       

this is packet reponse for 0x54, the 0x02 in the 2nd dword is the error code specifying invalid password
IN:
ff 54 1c 00 02 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00  .T..............
00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00              ............   

anyone got ideas on what i can do?  i know i'm doing the correct password, i have tested it with war3.

Show IN/OUT BNLS 0x02 and OUT BNCS 0x53?

Btw: first DWORD of BNCS SID_AUTH_ACCOUNTLOGON (0x53) response isn't CDKey/Version success, that's on packet SID_AUTH_CHECK (0x51)

OUT:
17 00 02 6c 61 66 66 62 6f 74 00 6e 65 77 70 61  ...laffbot.newpa
73 73 77 6f 72 64 00                            ssword.       

IN:
23 00 02 41 42 67 64 a5 a3 bd d6 1e dc 45 6e 3e  #..ABgd......En>
19 a1 55 4c c6 11 d3 4c 8a 39 fb 91 89 e1 30 79  ..UL...L.9....0y
a5 8e 5f                                        .._           

OUT:
ff 53 2c 00 41 42 67 64 a5 a3 bd d6 1e dc 45 6e  .S,.ABgd......En
3e 19 a1 55 4c c6 11 d3 4c 8a 39 fb 91 89 e1 30  >..UL...L.9....0
79 a5 8e 5f 6c 61 66 66 62 6f 74 00              y.._laffbot.   

IN:
ff 53 48 00 00 00 00 00 40 96 e0 1a 70 00 c7 5f  .SH.....@...p.._
8c 7c 53 35 de a2 b0 90 79 f2 04 53 21 db 07 2e  .|S5....y..S!...
27 dd 3e 06 38 a8 f5 ee 6b 24 f8 57 e5 bd fe 6b  '.>.8...k$.W...k
9e 6c fb 7d b4 de 9d 96 ad 9f 10 34 fc 62 01 fb  .l.}.......4.b..
89 4b cd f8 5f 58 e3 a0                          .K.._X..       

OUT:
43 00 03 40 96 e0 1a 70 00 c7 5f 8c 7c 53 35 de  C..@...p.._.|S5.
a2 b0 90 79 f2 04 53 21 db 07 2e 27 dd 3e 06 38  ...y..S!...'.>.8
a8 f5 ee 6b 24 f8 57 e5 bd fe 6b 9e 6c fb 7d b4  ...k$.W...k.l.}.
de 9d 96 ad 9f 10 34 fc 62 01 fb 89 4b cd f8 5f  ......4.b...K.._
58 e3 a0                                        X..           

IN:
17 00 03 45 d9 e6 1c 56 04 52 76 16 88 b6 4b f9  ...E...V.Rv...K.
84 6d 0d a9 90 2c 49                            .m...,I       

OUT:
ff 54 18 00 45 d9 e6 1c 56 04 52 76 16 88 b6 4b  .T..E...V.Rv...K
f9 84 6d 0d a9 90 2c 49                          ..m...,I       

IN:
ff 54 1c 00 02 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00  .T..............
00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00              ............   

i changed my pw to newpassword so you could test if you think i'm just stupid.

i guess i meant to say logon accepted, not cdkey/version success.  i was just lookin at the wrong part of the file.

Did you specify what NLS revision to use? (BNLS packet with id 0x0D)

nope, that did it though.  thanks a lot!