URL issue -- http://server/page.php?machine.network=one not working

Hi All, I am having a problem with php4 and a get url. For instance the URL: http://server/page.php?test1.test.com=debug. I have a script which does a foreach through all the _GET vars: foreach ($_GET as $var => $value) This peice works fine except that when the var (name) has a period in it that is changed to a _. If the value has a period it is not changed to _. I have snooped the packets and it is sent to the server as '.' Is this a server (apache) issue or a php issue. Is there anything I can do. Thanks Glenn