My browser is Firefox, the OS is Vista, and my connection to the internet is through a Virgin Mobile USB modem (model Huawei E!60E), which is one of three devices that are plugged into a four port USB hub, the other two devices being my wireless mouse transmitter and a USB memory stick. It works well enough for me, except for the annoying situation posed in my question. After shutting down my computer, on restart Virgin Mobile prompts me rather quickly to connect to the internet. This it then does, and quite swiftly. BUT, if I arouse my PC from sleep mode, not only does it not offer me a prompt (apparently it is not designed to do so, according to Virgin), but also it takes five or six painfully slow attempts to finally make internet connection again which eventually seems to occur as much due to sheer chance as to any identifiable reason. I achieve this by clicking on the connect button of the Virgin prompt screen (which I have to manually activate to appear), and then keep clicking 'connect' and 'cancel' repeatedly until finally success ensues. It would be so much simpler if the condition 'sleep mode' creates with the modem could be avoided, so that I could quickly reconnect again to the internet. The time I save by not shutting down, is more than lost by wasted time trying to reconnect to the internet after 'sleep' I have tried some of the predictable fixes -- namely uninstalling and re-installing Virgin, as well as fiddling around with settings related to "Allowing the computer to turn off this device", but without success. I also note that if I go to 'Computer', the entry that appears for Virgin Mobile describes it as "CD Drive (F:) Virgin Mobile" which, of course, it is not. Would it be possible for some kind person out there to offer me an explanation and some clues as to what best to do? Regards, kevindu