site_url is set on-the-fly based on the URL the user comes in on.perhaps this is the problem. I did have .htaccess but renamed it to ht.access when I transferred it to the server. It contained the lines:
I would suspect .htaccess if turning off FURLS solves the problem. Do you have an .htaccess file (not ht.access, which does nothing). If there is an .htaccess file, what's the RewriteBase line?
RewriteEngine On
RewriteBase /
RewriteCond %{REQUEST_FILENAME} !-f
RewriteCond %{REQUEST_FILENAME} !-d
RewriteRule ^(.*)$ index.php?q=$1 [L,QSA]