I always have to "try again" to get a website

Hi all. I'm using a PC running XP Home, with Firefox 1.0.
Almost every single time I click a link, or type the address in, or
click a bookmark, I sit there twiddling my thumbs until it times
out, with the usual explanation given by my FF1.0, and I have to
click the "try again" option. This delay takes about 7 to 10 seconds before it
times out and gives me the message. But
the thing is, when I click "try again", the browser goes straight
to the website in a normal time period, ie, 1 to 3 seconds.
I have the DNS Client service disabled, because it helps my
ad blocking Hosts file run better, and I've had it disabled for
years, thru several different browsers, so I assure you that's
not the problem.
Does anyone have any ideas why I almost always have to
try twice to get any website? Thank you very much for any help.
+~KE~-

P.S.- I have done some about:config experimenting in the past
but I can't pinpoint if this started right after I had modified any
preferences or not. But I've really only done a very small amount
of pref modification, and only on the suggestion of someone
that I considered a knowledgeable source (usually printed).