FF v12 / IE v8, get login page, upon enter creds get error page "connection was reset"

FF v12 error:
The connection was reset
The connection to the server was reset while the page was loading.
The site could be temporarily unavailable or too busy. Try again in a few moments.
If you are unable to load any pages, check your computer's network connection.
If your computer or network is protected by a firewall or proxy, make sure that Firefox is permitted to access the Web.

IE v8 error:
Internet Exploer cannot display the webpage.