Others have answered you well! A couple of extra, minor points:
1) There is a perl script called HTTPsniffer.pl, which is near-perfect for what you're trying to do. As the name implies, it "sniffs" the HTTP sessions between your browser and the server, writing it to a log file. That allows you to see the exact info you're sneding and receiving, including cookies, URL strings, POST info, and the like. I've used it with great success in the recent past.
It's by Tim Meadowcroft, and you can find it at http://www.compansr.demon.co.uk/
2) If you end up with a SSL connection, for some perverse reason, you can get a copy of CURL-SSL, which is a command-line interface for retriving Web pages. With some fun piping, you can sling SSL data back and forth for hours... :) Get it at http://curl.haxx.nu/
----Asim, known to some as Woodrow.