The change between Firefox 3.6.* and Firefox 4 is how location bar search works. In Firefox 3.6 it uses Google "Browse by name" search. With the browse by name search, it performs a Google search and if there is a clear match it will take you to the site, otherwise it shows the Google search result. With Firefox 4 it just performs a Google search if you type something which is not recognised as a URL.

To get the Firefox 3.6 behaviour on Firefox 4 you need to change a hidden preference.

1. Type about:config into the location bar and press enter
2. Accept the warning message that appears, you will be taken to a list of preferences
3. Locate the preference keyword.URL, double-click on it and change its value to the link shown below

http://www.google.com/search?ie=UTF-8&oe=UTF-8&sourceid=navclient&gfns=1&q=

Using Ctrl + Enter will add www. and .com to what is typed in the Location bar.

www. and .net or .org are added with the Shift and Alt keys respectively.

OR:

There is a little add-on that will fix that called "Browse by Name" - https://addons.mozilla.org/en-US/firefox/addon/browse-by-name/

With that if you type usanetwork in the url window it will go directly to the site.

You are much apprieciated! Thanks lowaman! thanks so much.

Doesn't work for me. I'm taken to a Google search index page.

Thanks - works nicely. But would still prefer not to have the extra effort..:)