>My next step is to completely remove internet sharing (which won't happen today). I won't bitch anymore about this until then.
>
>Michel has asked me several times if I have a proxy (which I don't). I have a feeling that the internet sharing thingamajig could be a proxy in disguise or at least look like one from the UT's side.
>
>If this was the case, what steps should I take? I am willing to try a few more things before installing and uninstalling more crap on this computer.

The internet sharing seems likely to be the culprit. No sense speculating until you have eliminated it as a possible cause.

I don't know really anything about proxies, but when I set up my iPaq to access the internet via my computer, I had to installed a proxy server. Perhaps your software is doing the same thing.