Oh how I now love my cable__modem...at first I was in total and complete dispair and ready to bawl my eyes out and then commit acts of violence against this computer. Now the fire wall problem is solved (after almost a week) and it now appears to be smoooooth internet sailing (and freakin fast sailing at that!!!)
Although the new MIS guy at work was not the one to solve my problem, having never ever dealt with a personnel fire wall before, he did do other things to make my computer run better. He is the Anti-Shlomo or I should really say that Shlomo is the Anti-Lou.