CPAN and CPANPLUS connection problems

Android 18 has asked for the wisdom of the Perl Monks concerning the following question:
I decided to go on a limb one day and install ActivePerl 5.8.0. I uninstalled 5.6.1, which I currently had an put on 5.8.0. Then when I tried to use CPAN.pm, it couldn't connect to any CPAN mirror. But I was online on IRC and using the web and stuff at the same time so it's not my end. Then I uninstalled 5.8.0 and went back to 5.6.1, but I still have the same problem. I don't know if the 5.8.0 installation triggered this mess or if it was just a coincidence that it happened around the same time, but now when I try to use CPANPLUS.pm to install any modules, they all turn up with error 500. Below is a sample of me trying to upgrade my POE:
C:\DOCUME~1\ANDROI~1>perl -MCPANPLUS -e shell
CPANPLUS::Shell::Default -- CPAN exploration and modules installation 
+(v0.03)
*** Please report bugs to <cpanplus-bugs@lists.sourceforge.net>.
*** Using CPANPLUS::Backend v0.042.  ReadLine support disabled.

CPAN Terminal> i POE
Checking if source files are up to date
Updating source file '01mailrc.txt.gz'
Trying to get /CPAN/authors/01mailrc.txt.gz from archive.progeny.com
Fetch failed! HTTP response code: 500 [Internal Server Error] in CPANP
+LUS::Internals::Fetch::_lwp_get at Thu May  8 18:55:05
2003 at C:/Perl/site/lib/CPANPLUS/Internals/Fetch.pm line 318
Trying to get /authors/01mailrc.txt.gz from cpan.cse.msu.edu
Fetch failed! HTTP response code: 500 [Internal Server Error] in CPANP
+LUS::Internals::Fetch::_lwp_get at Thu May  8 18:55:06
2003 at C:/Perl/site/lib/CPANPLUS/Internals/Fetch.pm line 318
Trying to get /pub/CPAN/authors/01mailrc.txt.gz from cpan.digisle.net
Fetch failed! HTTP response code: 500 [Internal Server Error] in CPANP
+LUS::Internals::Fetch::_lwp_get at Thu May  8 18:55:06
2003 at C:/Perl/site/lib/CPANPLUS/Internals/Fetch.pm line 318
Trying to get /pub/CPAN/authors/01mailrc.txt.gz from cpan.llarian.net
Fetch failed! HTTP response code: 500 [Internal Server Error] in CPANP
+LUS::Internals::Fetch::_lwp_get at Thu May  8 18:55:06
2003 at C:/Perl/site/lib/CPANPLUS/Internals/Fetch.pm line 318
Trying to get /authors/01mailrc.txt.gz from cpan.mirrorcentral.com
Fetch failed! HTTP response code: 500 [Internal Server Error] in CPANP
+LUS::Internals::Fetch::_lwp_get at Thu May  8 18:55:07
2003 at C:/Perl/site/lib/CPANPLUS/Internals/Fetch.pm line 318
Trying to get /mirrors/ftp/cpan.cse.msu.edu/authors/01mailrc.txt.gz fr
+om uiarchive.uiuc.edu
Fetch failed! HTTP response code: 500 [Internal Server Error] in CPANP
+LUS::Internals::Fetch::_lwp_get at Thu May  8 18:55:07
2003 at C:/Perl/site/lib/CPANPLUS/Internals/Fetch.pm line 318
Fetch failed: host list exhausted - are you connected today?
Couldn't fetch 01mailrc.txt.gz from  in CPANPLUS::Internals::Source::_
+update_source at Thu May  8 18:55:07 2003 at C:/Perl/si
te/lib/CPANPLUS/Internals/Source.pm line 445
Unable to update source, attempting to get away with using old source 
+file!
Updating source file '02packages.details.txt.gz'
Trying to get /CPAN/modules/02packages.details.txt.gz from archive.pro
+geny.com
Fetch failed! HTTP response code: 500 [Internal Server Error] in CPANP
+LUS::Internals::Fetch::_lwp_get at Thu May  8 18:55:07
2003 at C:/Perl/site/lib/CPANPLUS/Internals/Fetch.pm line 318
Trying to get /modules/02packages.details.txt.gz from cpan.cse.msu.edu
Fetch failed! HTTP response code: 500 [Internal Server Error] in CPANP
+LUS::Internals::Fetch::_lwp_get at Thu May  8 18:55:07
2003 at C:/Perl/site/lib/CPANPLUS/Internals/Fetch.pm line 318
Trying to get /pub/CPAN/modules/02packages.details.txt.gz from cpan.di
+gisle.net
Fetch failed! HTTP response code: 500 [Internal Server Error] in CPANP
+LUS::Internals::Fetch::_lwp_get at Thu May  8 18:55:07
2003 at C:/Perl/site/lib/CPANPLUS/Internals/Fetch.pm line 318
Trying to get /pub/CPAN/modules/02packages.details.txt.gz from cpan.ll
+arian.net
Fetch failed! HTTP response code: 500 [Internal Server Error] in CPANP
+LUS::Internals::Fetch::_lwp_get at Thu May  8 18:55:07
2003 at C:/Perl/site/lib/CPANPLUS/Internals/Fetch.pm line 318
Trying to get /modules/02packages.details.txt.gz from cpan.mirrorcentr
+al.com
Fetch failed! HTTP response code: 500 [Internal Server Error] in CPANP
+LUS::Internals::Fetch::_lwp_get at Thu May  8 18:55:07
2003 at C:/Perl/site/lib/CPANPLUS/Internals/Fetch.pm line 318
Trying to get /mirrors/ftp/cpan.cse.msu.edu/modules/02packages.details
+.txt.gz from uiarchive.uiuc.edu
Fetch failed! HTTP response code: 500 [Internal Server Error] in CPANP
+LUS::Internals::Fetch::_lwp_get at Thu May  8 18:55:07
2003 at C:/Perl/site/lib/CPANPLUS/Internals/Fetch.pm line 318
Fetch failed: host list exhausted - are you connected today?
Couldn't fetch 02packages.details.txt.gz from  in CPANPLUS::Internals:
+:Source::_update_source at Thu May  8 18:55:07 2003 at
C:/Perl/site/lib/CPANPLUS/Internals/Source.pm line 445
Unable to update source, attempting to get away with using old source 
+file!
Updating source file '03modlist.data.gz'
Trying to get /CPAN/modules/03modlist.data.gz from archive.progeny.com
Fetch failed! HTTP response code: 500 [Internal Server Error] in CPANP
+LUS::Internals::Fetch::_lwp_get at Thu May  8 18:55:07
2003 at C:/Perl/site/lib/CPANPLUS/Internals/Fetch.pm line 318
Trying to get /modules/03modlist.data.gz from cpan.cse.msu.edu
Fetch failed! HTTP response code: 500 [Internal Server Error] in CPANP
+LUS::Internals::Fetch::_lwp_get at Thu May  8 18:55:07
2003 at C:/Perl/site/lib/CPANPLUS/Internals/Fetch.pm line 318
Trying to get /pub/CPAN/modules/03modlist.data.gz from cpan.digisle.ne
+t
Fetch failed! HTTP response code: 500 [Internal Server Error] in CPANP
+LUS::Internals::Fetch::_lwp_get at Thu May  8 18:55:07
2003 at C:/Perl/site/lib/CPANPLUS/Internals/Fetch.pm line 318
Trying to get /pub/CPAN/modules/03modlist.data.gz from cpan.llarian.ne
+t
Fetch failed! HTTP response code: 500 [Internal Server Error] in CPANP
+LUS::Internals::Fetch::_lwp_get at Thu May  8 18:55:07
2003 at C:/Perl/site/lib/CPANPLUS/Internals/Fetch.pm line 318
Trying to get /modules/03modlist.data.gz from cpan.mirrorcentral.com
Fetch failed! HTTP response code: 500 [Internal Server Error] in CPANP
+LUS::Internals::Fetch::_lwp_get at Thu May  8 18:55:07
2003 at C:/Perl/site/lib/CPANPLUS/Internals/Fetch.pm line 318
Trying to get /mirrors/ftp/cpan.cse.msu.edu/modules/03modlist.data.gz 
+from uiarchive.uiuc.edu
Fetch failed! HTTP response code: 500 [Internal Server Error] in CPANP
+LUS::Internals::Fetch::_lwp_get at Thu May  8 18:55:07
2003 at C:/Perl/site/lib/CPANPLUS/Internals/Fetch.pm line 318
Fetch failed: host list exhausted - are you connected today?
Couldn't fetch 03modlist.data.gz from  in CPANPLUS::Internals::Source:
+:_update_source at Thu May  8 18:55:07 2003 at C:/Perl/
site/lib/CPANPLUS/Internals/Source.pm line 445
Unable to update source, attempting to get away with using old source 
+file!
Retrieving C:\DOCUME~1\ANDROI~1\Application Data\.cpanplus\mailrc.1.01
+2.stored
Retrieving C:\DOCUME~1\ANDROI~1\Application Data\.cpanplus\dslip.1.012
+.stored
Retrieving C:\DOCUME~1\ANDROI~1\Application Data\.cpanplus\packages.1.
+012.stored
Installing: POE
Trying to get /CPAN/authors/id/R/RC/RCAPUTO/POE-0.25.tar.gz from archi
+ve.progeny.com
Fetch failed! HTTP response code: 500 [Internal Server Error] in CPANP
+LUS::Internals::Fetch::_lwp_get at Thu May  8 18:55:09
2003 at C:/Perl/site/lib/CPANPLUS/Internals/Fetch.pm line 318
Trying to get /authors/id/R/RC/RCAPUTO/POE-0.25.tar.gz from cpan.cse.m
+su.edu
Fetch failed! HTTP response code: 500 [Internal Server Error] in CPANP
+LUS::Internals::Fetch::_lwp_get at Thu May  8 18:55:09
2003 at C:/Perl/site/lib/CPANPLUS/Internals/Fetch.pm line 318
Trying to get /pub/CPAN/authors/id/R/RC/RCAPUTO/POE-0.25.tar.gz from c
+pan.digisle.net
Fetch failed! HTTP response code: 500 [Internal Server Error] in CPANP
+LUS::Internals::Fetch::_lwp_get at Thu May  8 18:55:10
2003 at C:/Perl/site/lib/CPANPLUS/Internals/Fetch.pm line 318
Trying to get /pub/CPAN/authors/id/R/RC/RCAPUTO/POE-0.25.tar.gz from c
+pan.llarian.net
Fetch failed! HTTP response code: 500 [Internal Server Error] in CPANP
+LUS::Internals::Fetch::_lwp_get at Thu May  8 18:55:10
2003 at C:/Perl/site/lib/CPANPLUS/Internals/Fetch.pm line 318
Trying to get /authors/id/R/RC/RCAPUTO/POE-0.25.tar.gz from cpan.mirro
+rcentral.com
Fetch failed! HTTP response code: 500 [Internal Server Error] in CPANP
+LUS::Internals::Fetch::_lwp_get at Thu May  8 18:55:10
2003 at C:/Perl/site/lib/CPANPLUS/Internals/Fetch.pm line 318
Trying to get /mirrors/ftp/cpan.cse.msu.edu/authors/id/R/RC/RCAPUTO/PO
+E-0.25.tar.gz from uiarchive.uiuc.edu
Fetch failed! HTTP response code: 500 [Internal Server Error] in CPANP
+LUS::Internals::Fetch::_lwp_get at Thu May  8 18:55:10
2003 at C:/Perl/site/lib/CPANPLUS/Internals/Fetch.pm line 318
Fetch failed: host list exhausted - are you connected today?
Could not fetch module POE in CPANPLUS::Internals::Install::_install_m
+odule at Thu May  8 18:55:10 2003 at C:/Perl/site/lib/C
PANPLUS/Internals/Install.pm line 93
Installing POE failed! in CPANPLUS::Backend::install at Thu May  8 18:
+55:10 2003 at C:/Perl/site/lib/CPANPLUS/Backend.pm line
 228
Error installing POE
Problem installing one or more modules
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