Thanks for the replies. I'm going to bet money that it has something to do with his ISP - he has used the VPN client at hotels and in other high speed "areas", and he can get on with no problems. I will check with the ISP and see what I can come up with there.
As for my "nom de plume" - it's latin for "one who builds up or gives rise to the Church." I was just ordained a Catholic priest this past May, and I've used that username on some other online services ... something subtle and intriguing.
Will keep you updated on what I find out about this VPN thing ...
Thanks!
Pax,
Michael