What have you got configured under Tools / Internet Options / Connections / LAN Settings?

Nothing is ticked in that box at all, including "automatically detect.....". Should it be?

To clarify my comment, now I have played it for a bit, it seems to wait a bit before it puts a page up, but puts it all up in one go - overall time may be no more, it just seemed it when the initial pause is longer...

It does seem to have sorted out messenger though Haven't tried it fully though yet... Thanks for the help on that bit. I seem to have drifted slightly from my original aim!

Nick