none else is reporting any problems like that - just you :-)

They do have mail-marshall in operation & we have two proxy servers. I have tried both. The connection-refused part of it looks like a classic IDENT request failure. That I could understand as I am sure our Sidewinder / PIX firewall config, will block IDENT somewhere.

The situation at home mystifies me. One last test I will try shortly, is to remove my LAN & router & do a direct connect to ISP & see if my home server will get through then. But why would my work PC fail to get thru at work but work fine at home at the same time as my home servers won't get thru, they all go thru the same NAT firewall router ???

Doug