TF2 not connecting to servers

[Altamont_Raven]

I’ve been having this problem off and on the past couple months where I’ll start up TF2, and when I go to select a server, usually I can see some servers, like say I’m looking at my favorites list, so there’s maybe 6 servers. I double click on one that looks like it has people, and then I instantly get a “server is not responding” error, and this happens with ANY server I try. if I refresh the list, sometimes the servers just disappear, same thing with restarting the game and /or steam.

the weird part is, if I try enough, it fixes itself, but also, sometimes it lets me connect to a server (which has no people) and I disconnect from it, and then none of the other servers work!

I’ve experienced this on two completely different networks, though as far as I can remember, only wirelessly (not by choice, it’s just all I have right now). And when it does work, I never do anything differently, I just keep trying. but sometimes it just won’t work and I come back hours later and suddenly everything is fine.

I’ve restarted tf2/steam/computer, I’ve turned on/off my wireless card, and like I said, multiple netwroks have given me this problem, but never experienced it before say June of this year.

Computer is HP pavillion dv6700 laptop, running Win7 Professional (64bit) since February, 4 gigs ram, basic stock wireless card (broadcom 802.11g).

what’s going on? any info would be appreciated, thanks

[russilker]

let’s get the obvious suggestions out of the way –

i assume you’re using one computer for this. did you try disabling firewalls (including Windows firewall)?
If you have access to the router on a network, make sure the packet filtration isnt set to some extreme safety level. steam should work without forwarding any ports but high security settings do interfere at times

[Fancy_Pants]

This happens to me alllll the time. I cannot connect to a single server through tf2, only the steam server browser works. Have you tried that?

[Altamont_Raven]

@russilker

i assume you’re using one computer for this. did you try disabling firewalls (including Windows firewall)?

well it’s enabled, but I never change it (and it’s always been that way) so I don’t see how that can be the problem.

If you have access to the router on a network, make sure the packet filtration isnt set to some extreme safety level. steam should work without forwarding any ports but high security settings do interfere at times

well i don’t really have that kind of access to this router right now (subletting this place for a few more weeks) so maybe once I get control of my internet I can actually figure the problem out, instead of relying on university cable