Private Sub DownloadItem(ByVal sURL As String, _
  ByVal strFile As String, ByVal strFolder As String)
 
        Dim webreq As HttpWebRequest
        Dim webresp As HttpWebResponse
        Dim bReader As BinaryReader
        Dim bWriter As BinaryWriter
        Dim stream As FileStream
        Dim buffer() As Byte = New Byte(1024) {}
        Dim bytesRead As Integer
 
        ' Fortschritt zunächst auf 0% setzen
        Me.ProgressBar1.Value = 0
 
        Try
            ' Datei-Download via HTTP "anfordern"
            webreq = HttpWebRequest.Create(sURL)
            webresp = webreq.GetResponse
 
            ' Download-Größe
            Me.ProgressBar1.Maximum = webresp.ContentLength
 
            ' lokale Datei öffnen
            stream = New FileStream(strFolder & "\" & strFile, FileMode.Create)
            bReader = New BinaryReader(webresp.GetResponseStream)
            bWriter = New BinaryWriter(stream)
 
            ' Datei blockweise downloaden und lokal speichern
            Do
                bytesRead = bReader.Read(buffer, 0, 1024)
                bWriter.Write(buffer, 0, bytesRead)
                ProgressBar1.Value += bytesRead
                ProgressBar1.Update()
            Loop Until bytesRead = 0
 
            ' alle Dateien schließen
            bWriter.Close()
            bReader.Close()
            stream.Close()
 
        Catch ex As Exception
            ' Bei Fehler...
            MessageBox.Show("Fehler: " & vbCrLf & ex.Message, _
              "Fehler", MessageBoxButtons.OK, _
              MessageBoxIcon.Error, MessageBoxDefaultButton.Button1)
        End Try
    End Sub
 
 
    ' Internet-Datei auslesen
    Private Function inetReadFile(ByVal sURL As String) As String
        Dim sBuffer As String
 
        ' WebRequest
        Dim oRequest As WebRequest = WebRequest.Create(sURL)
 
        ' GET-Methode (wir wollen etwas abholen :-)
        oRequest.Method = "GET"
 
        ' Antwort auf unsere Anfrage abholen
        Dim oResponse As WebResponse = oRequest.GetResponse()
 
        ' Datenstrom auslesen
        Dim oStream As New StreamReader(oResponse.GetResponseStream())
        sBuffer = oStream.ReadToEnd()
        oStream.Close()
 
        ' Beenden
        oResponse.Close()
 
        ' Inhalt zurückgeben
        Return sBuffer
    End Function
 
 
    Private Sub cmdDownload_Click(ByVal sender As System.Object, ByVal e As _
      System.EventArgs) Handles cmdDownload.Click
        TextBox1.Text = inetReadFile(txtUrl.Text)
End Sub

I dream of gardens in the desert sand...