[Typo3] Using Extension Manager on secure, shared web hosting site

[Jeremy Sellors]

Hi ,
I have just installed typo3 on three web host sites and my own mac as  
part of my learning process.
Two sites use a form of web security that prevents the Extension  
Manager from working—don't allow fopen()—
so is there any way around this from the Typo3 end?

My current solution is to download each extension and dependent  
extensions as .t3x files and upload them in reverse order one at a  
time installing each one as I go.

I can disable mod_secure on the one site but I am still unable to use  
the Extension Manager—message:

Warning: fopen() [function.fopen]: URL file-access is disabled in the  
server configuration in /home/MyDomain.com/t/typo3/t3lib/ 
class.t3lib_div.php on line 2099

Warning: fopen(http://ter.typo3.com/?id=t3_extrep&tx_extrep[T3instID] 
=N%2FA&tx_extrep[TYPO3_ver]=3.8.0&tx_extrep[PHP_ver]=5.0.4&tx_extrep 
[returnUrl]=http%3A%2F%2Ftyp.skyplex.info%2Ft%2Ftypo3%2Fmod%2Ftools% 
2Fem%2Findex.php%3Fter_connect%3D1%26ter_search%3D&tx_extrep 
[gzcompress]=1&tx_extrep[user][fe_u]=skyplex&tx_extrep[user][fe_p] 
=rfgt55&tx_extrep[cmd]=currentListing) [function.fopen]: failed to  
open stream: no suitable wrapper could be found in /home/MyDomain.com/ 
t/typo3/t3lib/class.t3lib_div.php on line 2099

The permissions settings on all the files in /t3lib/ containing the  
file class.t3lib_div.php were originally  rw-r--r--.

Any suggestions?

Kind Regards, Jeremy Sellors