BleepingComputer.com: Pages loading indefinately all browsers

I'm running Windows XP on my vaio. Wireless with Network Magic.

I have IE 8, Firefox 3.5.5 and Opera 10.10 . I recently had - and uninstalled Chrome as it kept stalling completely.

All of a sudden the browsers essentially stop working. They load and load either forever or until they time out. Sometimes I can get another browser to work (usually IE - though it frequently stops responding all together.) Firefox can stop responding as well.

When I check the task manager, the cpu is performing properly (ie. not at 100%)

sometimes when I run ATF cleaner it helps - but less than 1/2 the time.

I have run Superantispyware and spybot with nothing found.

I also run Avast anti-virus. I was running AVG but swtiched back. Avast seems to allow things to run marginally better.

Then all of a sudden, things start working again.

any thoughts?

thanks all
JP