Jim,

>I have a VPN connection defining a virtual drive on a distant system. It itself works fine.
>
>However, any time that I use it my e-mail (MS Outlook 2003) and browser (IE 6.latest) fail to connect. The only way that I can succeed in doing so is by re-booting.

Do you mean that you cannot use them AFTER you disconnect from the VPN or WHILE you are connected? While connected, they are probably trying to use the VPN connection as the default gateway to the Internet, which could work if your login on the VPN has rights to use the Internet on that system.

If trying to get it work AFTER disconnecting from VPN, you might try

ipconfig /flushdns

from the OS command window.