slow/no laading pages

XP2, Foxfire, cable connection, most any URL.
Choose a URL and go and the page starts to load. In some cases the page loads just fine, but in most cases the page gets about 80-90%, a guess made on the indicator bottom left of page, and then pauses/stops. You don’t know which until time has passed and the load has not happened.
Sometimes refresh will get it to complete, but there is no predictor. Have run virus checks and adware checks and seem to be clean. Hints, tips, cures. Any or all welcome.