VS 2012 - Webrequest Authentication 401 Unauthorized

I'm trying to connected to a third-party server, that allows API access via XML post/response. I've created just a very simple test page with a button to press.... the button should just go to the URL, log in with basic authentication and then return the response. if I use a browser and go to the URL, I see the XML response. Usuing my app, I'm still getting 401 unauthorized. I've been at this for hours, I've searched the forums and googled extensively, still no luck. Also, this is an internal app to internal server so security is not the highest priority. I'm setting the UN and PWD for authentication in a simple form.

Here's my VB code behind:

Dim request As HttpWebRequest
Dim response As HttpWebResponse = Nothing
Dim reader As StreamReader
Dim result As String
'disables self-signed SSL cert errors

[Code] ....

And the username and password are 100% accurate - as I mentioned above the code (well, implied).

I feel like this SHOULD be pretty easy: Overall request for testing: Submit a web request to a URL, disable the SSL check (self-signed certs used), login with basic UN and PWD I supply, return the response to a textbox.