hello schrepfer, since this can sometimes be caused by malware active on a system, please run a scan with different security tools like the free version of malwarebytes & adwcleaner.

Troubleshoot Firefox issues caused by malware

See this KB article - https://support.mozilla.org/en-US/kb/firefox-cant-load-websites-other-browsers-can

neither of these suggestions worked... i am using chrome as that works... it is something within firefox. do you have any other suggestions that the items on the standard page? i have tried all of them

what were the results of those two scans?

Type about:preferences#advanced<Enter> in the address bar.

Under Advanced, Select Network. Look for Configure How Firefox Connects and press the Settings button. Check the settings.

Some problems occurs when your Internet security program was set to trust the previous version of Firefox, but no longer recognizes your updated version as trusted. Now how to fix the problem: To allow Firefox to connect to the Internet again;

• Make sure your Internet security software is up-to-date (i.e. you are running the latest version).
• Remove Firefox from your program's list of trusted or recognized programs. For detailed instructions, see

Configure firewalls so that Firefox can access the Internet. {web link}