The following code shows three different ways, using different .Net objects to get the source of a web page. These objects are HTTPWebRequest, HTTPWebResponse, WebRequest, WebResponse, and WebClient.

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Source code of the project is also included.

    'Using HttpWebRequest and HttpWebResponse
    Public Function getHTMLSource1(ByVal url As String) As String
        Dim HTMLSource As String = ""
        Dim Request As HttpWebRequest = WebRequest.Create(url)
        Dim Response As HttpWebResponse = Request.GetResponse
        Dim SR As StreamReader
        SR = New StreamReader(Response.GetResponseStream)
        HTMLSource = SR.ReadToEnd
        SR.Close()
        Return HTMLSource
    End Function

    'Using Webclient
    Public Function getHTMLSource2(ByVal url As String) As String
        Dim HTMLSource As String = ""
        Dim WC As New WebClient
        Dim SR As StreamReader
        SR = New StreamReader(WC.OpenRead(url))
        HTMLSource = SR.ReadToEnd
        SR.Close()
        Return HTMLSource
    End Function

    'Using WebRequest WebResponse
    Public Function getHTMLSource3(ByVal url As String) As String
        Dim HTMLSource As String = ""
        Dim Request As WebRequest = WebRequest.Create(url)
        Dim Response As WebResponse = Request.GetResponse
        Dim SR As StreamReader
        SR = New StreamReader(Response.GetResponseStream)
        HTMLSource = SR.ReadToEnd
        SR.Close()
        Return HTMLSource
    End Function

    'Using Webclient With Credentials
    Public Function getHTMLSource4(ByVal url As String) As String
        Dim HTMLSource As String = ""
        Dim WC As New WebClient
        WC.Credentials = New NetworkCredential("USERNAME", "PASSWORD")
        Dim SR As StreamReader
        SR = New StreamReader(WC.OpenRead(url))
        HTMLSource = SR.ReadToEnd
        SR.Close()
        Return HTMLSource
    End Function