header As String = getHttpHeaderfromFile("www.vbarchiv.net", _
  "/images/vb_logo_ani.gif")

    Public Function getHttpHeaderfromFile(ByVal server As String, ByVal _
      filepath As String) As String
 
        Dim tcpClient As New Sockets.TcpClient
        Dim ipAddress As Net.IPAddress = Dns.GetHostEntry(server).AddressList(0)
 
        Dim ascii As Encoding = Encoding.ASCII
 
        Dim request As String = "HEAD " + filepath + " HTTP/1.1" + _
          ControlChars.Cr + ControlChars.Lf + _
                                "Host: " + server + ControlChars.Cr + _
                                ControlChars.Lf + _
                                "Accept: */*" + ControlChars.Cr + _
                                ControlChars.Lf + _
                                "Connection: close" + ControlChars.Cr + _
                                ControlChars.Lf + ControlChars.Cr + _
                                ControlChars.Lf
 
        Dim bytesSent As [Byte]() = ascii.GetBytes(request)
 
        tcpClient.Connect(ipAddress, 80)
 
        tcpClient.Client.Send(bytesSent, bytesSent.Length, 0)
 
        Dim bytes As Int32
        Dim bytesReceived(255) As [Byte]
        Dim receivedString As [String] = ""
 
        Do
            bytes = tcpClient.Client.Receive(bytesReceived, _
              bytesReceived.Length, 0)
            receivedString = receivedString + Encoding.ASCII.GetString( _
            bytesReceived, 0, bytes)
        Loop While bytes > 0
 
        Return receivedString.ToString
 
    End Function

Gruss mm78pr

http://msdn.microsoft.com/de-de/default.aspx