Windows Right I Hate steam! help me please!

Ok so before you all scream "use the search" or even "go have a look at steam support"... I have .. and its a big pile'o'poo.
So setup as I have it here:
PC with XP SP2.
Netgear DG834G
Bulldog DSL 1MB line.

Check list so far:
Opened ports needed on router (according to steam help) YES (added in services and on the firewall page)
Turned off stupid XP2 Firewall YES
Added ports needed into XP2 Firewall Just in case YES
Turned off P2P Software YES
Turned off any other firewalls N/A (none installed atm.)
Genuine copy of HL2 Damn Right!

Ok... so before I turn this cd into a coaster... or go to the lengths of cracking a legal copy of HL2... can anyone help me out.
Is bulldog blocking hl2? have I missed something on my router?
I have already tried running it in DMZ mode.. but nothing there.
Steam can't even find the network!
Please help me before I start planning to firebomb Valve HQ!
-J

 

try unistalling then reinstalling the game and let it updat itself and c if it help u out....it looks like u've opened everything avail and given it the green light to go but it might be the game itsself.....so try that or not post on the steam forums dude.

good luck

 

done that... twice now.
When I click to play the game on my desktop it comes up with.. "cannot connect to steam network please try later!"
-J

 

Firsty try and play while directly connected to the net (not via the router) and see if it works then, there could be a problem with it. Once (or if) you've done that i'll think of sumthin else .

Death

 

yeah i was thinking of connection to the net without the router and trying to play the game as it is.......but if u can get hold of a adsl modem spare an try with that it clould be the router thats giving the problem....

 

I can't believe that no-one has tried playing HL2 through a netgear router before!!!!!
-J

 

I'm on a hardwired netgear router right now, works fine. with all my games

 

Using the same router, have no problems accessing steam, no DMZ, no ports forwarded, uPNP on...

 

Its probably not your router, there is a big CS update happening at the mo,
i got the same error thurs night , thought it was odd ,and just gone to play and its updating CS as i type ,
willing to bet thats your prob , steam servers are maxed out at the mo, keep trying or give it a day or two.

 

cool so its not my router then! thanks!
now then ... do people play HL2 on Bulldog DSL?
apparently it might be a problem with my ISP!
-J

 

Erm I'm not so sure its the same thing, as he Isn't manageing to connect to the steam network at all, whereas you can't play CS as its updating. (it only updates after you log into the steam network afaik.

Have you got access to another PC that you could plug into your modem/router and try Steam on that? it may be a problem with your ISP blocking certain ports... (but I thought all of the connections to STeam were outgoing thus stopped by next to nothing)

 

hmm I might have a go and see if it will work on my other pc.. but I don't think it will work!
Still worth a try.
Its a sad day when it is easier to crack my own game than actually activate it properly!
-J

 

Is it working now, just that there was quite an update yesterday, and the server load was high.

 

I had a similar problem. The steam site does not list a couple of ports tat need to be open for steam to work.

 

Yeah... it's possible that the steam network was acutally down/unavailable. Sometimes those messages are accurate

 

Nope it was worse than all that .. I finally found the problem.
Ok so I have all my games on my e:\ drive. in a folder marked "games" just for a wheeze. So I told steam to install there.... It doesn't like that at all!
I tried installing Steam onto my spare PC... and it worked 1st time, so I knew it wasn't the router or the ISP or anything with my connection.
Did a completely clean install of steam into C:\program files as the fussy program demanded... and it worked first time!
HOW BAD IS THAT! WHAT LAME PROGRAMMER ALLOWS A BUG LIKE THAT OUT INTO THE WORLD!!!!!!!!!
Sorry for the outburst, but not finding the steam network, just because I changed the folder is SUPER WEAK! If I had to install it to c:\program files then WHY GIVE ME THE CHOICE TO INSTALL SOMEWHERE ELSE!

Still it is a wonderful game.. and I have now lost many hours to CS: Source, its just a damn shame Steam is so WEAK!

thanks for all your suggestions.. seems I was missing the really fesking obvious one!!!
-J