drummer4breeze wrote:
I've checked my sygate firwall - allows access to core.exe
I've also checked my router, all ports allowed outgoing.
If you have a separate firewall box (e.g. in your ADSL box or similar), allowing outgoing traffic is not enough.
You need to set up port forwarding to your box. This means, that any incoming connection attempts to those ports from the internet (like EA's servers) will need to be redirected over to your PC by your router.
Usually this happens by defining the port ranges and protocols to be forwarded, and then the destination host in the internal network - your PC's IP address. The exact configuration details vary between routers, so you need to take a peek in your manual. Or post the exact make and model of your router. However, if you're able to play BF2, you've propably already done some port forwards.
HTH,
lehter