more net install

[tf <hmf@softhome.net>]

howdy guys

I'll try to be a bit more specific.  I'm attempting to get a full system going from the base slink.  I just got a modem the other 
day and got it to ping my isp, but running apt-get update produces (somthing close to) the following results:

get http://http.us.debian.org stable/contrib Packages
0% [connecting to http.us.debian.org]
error http://http.us.debian.org stable/contrib Packages
could not open...

so I'm connected, but apt can't get (no pun intended!) to the urls listed in the sources list.  tried putting debian in 
/etc/hosts.allow, but that didn't do it.  

any ideas? Given access to my computer, most of you guys could fix this in about 15 seconds.

Thanks!


-tf