"automatic" updates not working?

[Jeff]

Hi.
I have been playing around with Ubuntu (one box has the desktop, the other
the server) for a couple of weeks.

I have LOTS of questions, but generally have gotten the system to work
well and am impressed.

One question I want to ask now is regarding the system updates.  When I
log in, it tells me that there are updates.  When I try to go through
installing them, it tells me that it can't connect to the server to
install them.  I have the same problem trying to populate the list of
possible program updates.

I am running broadband with a router (and firewall).  I disabled the
firewall and exposed the Ubuntu machine to the internet without a
firewall.  That did not help.

Any ideas?
Jeff