Try this, it seems to work just fine for STO.
The original post is here.

Check this out.

Step 1:
Google Hotspotshield

Step 2:
Install the free VPN

Step 3:
Run the VPN software and connect. Once connected you are routing traffic through the VPN. You can verify by checking your external IP by Googleing "What's my IP"

Step 4:
Lauch the BLR launcher. It should start updating and patching.

Step 5:
Once the patch is complete, turn off the VPN connection. Once disconnected, you should be on your normal internet. You can verify by checking your external IP by Googleing "What's my IP" - it should be different than your VPN IP address.

Step 6:
Press the PLAY button.


Just FYI- after you patch, you will STILL be unable to run the BLR launcher without first launching the VPN service. Just make sure you shut it off after the launcher is launched or you will be playing the game through the VPN! This will lag you really bad in game... Ohh, and for those who think I can just launch BLR from the BLR.exe after a patch, it will not work for me without first launching the launcher and pressing play...

It took me weeks to get this working. I hope I help a few people out!!!

I tried the above work around. It allowed me to download the latest patch.

I have traced the problem to one of two possible stupid things that STO is doing to all of us. They are either:

1: Using SORBS blacklisting to block all IP addresses that were ever once used by email spammers. If your IP randomly assigns you one of these addresses long after the spammer is out of business, you are blocked until you get a clean IP address. If you cannot connect to most of the different STO web servers, try this link to see if your current IP address is blacklisted: http://whatismyipaddress.com/blacklist-check

2: They set up a policy of blocking IP addresses for kids that play free games just to troll and insult other players and be a general nuisance. This solves nothing in the current world where there is an old IP shortage and most players do not have a static IP address. This just sets up a situation where someone else playing the game will get assigned the address in the future and is blocked. The trolls just wait for their IP to change and start a new account.

From the postings on this listing it appears that STO has no desire to fix this problem. So using a proxy or a VPN to mask your bad IP address is the only solution until your IP decides to change your address to one that is not being actively blocked.

I shouldn't have to jump through hoops to play the damn game, they need to fix it.

What's the BLR launcher? I was able to get in yesterday but with tomorrows updates will have to close the program and go through a day of trying to connect again so I will give this a shot! I tried all Monday and got nothing I got home Tuesday the first click brought up the launcher, I just leave it running now when I get it working.

I had the same problem myself...if you reinstall steam at steampowered.com that should at least allow you back into the site. I'm still trying to figure out the rest for myself, hope this helps.

BLR - Blacklight Retribution is another game published by Perfect World. Apparently, at some point, they encountered the same issue with Cryptic Launcher Autoupdate and the solution was to use a VPN to mask their IPs. Its somehow ironic to find the solution for STO on a forum about BLR. While the VPN workaround works with STO too, the real solution is to check http://whatismyipaddress.com/blacklist-check to see if your IP its blacklisted. Most probably your IP is there on some damn blacklist. Ask the owner of that list to delete your IP from that list, wait 48 hours and engage. And thank fifthdread and onemorespock for their great intuitions.

What's really sad is that I have to do this at all, but it sounds like in the anals of PW games this is what they do, block IPs for some inane reason and I could say whatever and not letit bother me but after spending nearly a month and a half with support and they just couldn't tell me thats what they do unless they don't realize that software or whatever is doing this to people then it's just malfeasance on their part.

Thank you for all the posts regarding this problem. My fleet games once a week (Saturday nights) and one member couldn't log in due to this.

So we checked the blacklist link posted two messages up (and even my IP address was on 4 of those) and then had him change his IP address.

You do not have to call your internet provider to change your non-static IP address (if it's static, then I assume you must).

Instead you can log into your cable router (which connects to your cable modem) by the http address: http://192.168.1.1/

This is usually the local address for your router (unless you changed it).
You'll need to log into your router using the account name/password that either you set or is the default for your cable router's brand (go to your router's website or google it).

Then you need to find the page which states your IP address, gateway, etc... (for my Linksys/Cisco router it is located on the Status tab). Release your IP address, then obtain a new one (renew). This usually resets your address to a different one.

This worked for my teammate's problem which was giving the same error as noted in this thread. Thanks again for all the posts, which helped us get him back online!
Good luck.

I can confirm this works. Thanks for sharing!

I don't have a router. It's just a coax cable comes out of the wall to my cable modem, and then another cable to the back of my computer.

(I'm actually somewhat more knowledgeable than the above makes me sound, I'm just keeping it simple)