My problem is best described by example: Using Internet Explorer, I'm
either browsing the Internet going from site to site, building an eBay
ad, or filling in a form on a website. I click on submit (or
whatever), maybe click on a link, or type in a URL.

Sometimes, everything works fine. More and more, though, I wait....and
I wait...and I wait...until the dreaded "page cannot be found" error
appears. ("The page you are looking for might have been removed, had
its name changed, or is temporarily unavailable.)" BUT HOLD ON---while
I'm waiting, I can open Firefox or Opera and type in the same URL and
BAM!, no problem, page found and I'm rolling. Meanwhile back at
Internet Explorer, it may STILL be searching for the site.

This reminds me of what I used to call the "phantom connection"
phenomena back in the pre-high-speed days when you dialed up your
connection and sometimes it would do the same thing but never say you
were offline.

This also seems to be starting to happen with Firefox and Opera.
Firefox returns the message "The document contains no data," and Opera
just keeps on counting and counting the seconds. There is no rhyme or
reason to this. It happens on familiar bookmarked pages I've used for
a couple of years, new pages, links, etc.

This is NOT a new problem. This has happened now for about six months
or so, but the intensity of it seems to have been getting stronger
over the last three to four weeks.

ME: an intermediate user who has stopped short of messing with the
registry because I know when I'm in deep water. Not a novice, but
nowhere near qualified enough to work for Call-A-Geek.

SYSTEM: XP Pro, 2 yr-old Micro Spec computer that seems to have no
glitches at all, works great, IE 6.0xxxx, Firefox 1.0.7, Opera 8.5.
Background programs running: File-Ex, Pop-Up Stopper (oldie from
Panicware), AVG Free v 7.0.344. (Note: The same thing happens even if
I turn all of these babies off.) I am on a broadband connection
through Earthlink, via a D-Link wired router which is also hooked up
to my wife's computer in the same room, which doesn't experience
anything like my problem at all. We are networked.

I defrag regularly, and run AVG, and Spy Sweeper once or twice a week.
I have bought and installed PC Speed Scan, and last year I bought Web
Rocket and Win Rocket, all of which seem to get along nicely and work
as advertised.

WHAT I'VE DONE: looked online and in Google answers for similar
situations. A few days ago I followed this routine:

1. Run TrendMicro's House Call to do a thorough virus scan.
2. Run Ad-Aware
3. Run CWS Shredder
4. Run Spy Bot

but the problem has not gone away.

I don't think this is a virus. I don't know if some piece of spyware
is trying to hijack my browser (which has never happened before)...I
don't know if Hijack This! is called for or what...and I have reached
the limits of my ability and patience.

I use all 3 browsers for various things, and while IE is my least
favorite, I still like to use it and want to continue to do so because
it has some unique features that are very useful to me on a regular
basis.

SO, if you are SURE you can help, I'm waiting to hear from you. I put
it this way, because I will ask for a refund if the problem still
remains. I don't expect miracles, and I am willing to work with you
patiently if we can get to the bottom of this. I don't want to give
anyone other than a good rating. I want to be fair, and if you can
solve this maddening puzzle, I'll rave about you here and elsewhere!

Any takers?

look ur network connection, maybe its the problem.

Try use ping website(in command line) for 10minutes(in windows: ping
www.web.com -t) if u get any message "host cannot be found" or "time
expired" or something like that, bingo! u found the problem.

Contact ur provider.