STEAM SERVER BROWSER SHOWING EMPTY LIST AND "CHOKING" CONNECTION

[Daggial]

An 11-years-badge Steam player and real Valve supporter needs help!
This is a well known problem since many years now, and i really reached my patience limit after so much time with such said problem.
I've found many players talking about it in different forums and steam discussions, but nothing brought me to a solution, in years!!!
I really would like to help solve this problem once and forever, so i'm opening this discussion and hoping to find more players who know something about it, and, if possible, bring the attention of Valve developers on the matter.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE PROBLEM

Everytime you refresh the server list, steam start to send thousands of requests to every server, causing your internet connection to "choke".
The outcome of this usually brings an empty server list, or a list that is much less-populated than it should be. It also causes other major problems to other connection-based applications (details below).

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE ISSUE

• the first time you open your game, the list is succesfully created. The problem starts when you click the "refresh" button.
  
• the issue shows up also with the other server browser functionalities (server history, server favourites, changing filters), making them completely useless since the first time you open the list is always on the main tab. Switching to those said tabs, causes a refresh and the same effects as clicking refresh.
  
• when it happens, you cannot navigate with your browser anymore, all downloads are interrupted (steam downloads too). This keeps going for a few minutes (let's say about 2-5 minutes).
  
• Other minor applications are not affected, for example Steam friend list stays connected, or TeamSpeak2 keeps working too!
  
• after those sayd 2-5 minutes, or after rebooting the pc, everything goes back to normal. You can refresh your list once, the second time u are choked again.

MORE INFORMATIONS THAT CAN HELP LIMIT SOLUTION POSSIBILITIES

• this is not a game-related issue: this is happening to me with both Valve games (TF2, HL2:DM and all the mods) and other companies ones (Natural Selection 2, Chivalry: Medieval Warfare)... all games using steam server browser are affected
  
• In-game server browser ping/minute setting doesn't change anything, for me at least. Valve is surely aware of this problem, since they added this setting in Steam a few years ago. Sadly it's not worth anything... i can see the servers in the list showing up "slower" but still not showing up when refreshing
  
• Other devices and PCs in your LAN are not affected, this makes me think that the "choke point" is the PC network card.
  
• i had the same problem when i had another mainboard (and then another integrated network card), so i think the network card model isn't the cause.

SOMETHING I MUST SAY BEFORE SOME MR.OBVIOUS ANSWERS

• i can't say exactly when this problem started to appear, but i can swear 3-4 years ago everything always worked fine, even with the same mainboard/network card i just talked about
  
• i'm not spamming clicks on the refresh button of course! :) clicking it once is enough
  
• i tried to change the settings of the network card from Windows Devices Management in many ways, noone of them worked
  
• i can provide models of the mainboards / network cards i used so far, but like i said i don't think it can help

If anyone has a solution, had the same problem, or have an idea on how to solve it, please write your thoughts here!
Let's bring this annoying issue to an end!

[ambosen]

I used to have this problem. Then I upgraded to a better, and ironically enough, cheaper internet connection. Never had it since.

[Daggial]

i changed home a few times in the last years, but i used the same provider... i remember having a 4Gbit ADSL with TELECOM Italia, now i still have the same provider but on 7Gbit ADSL... sounds a bit strange this could be the cause, same provider, same connection type, more bandwidth than before...
i'll take note of this anyway, maybe i will try to bring my pc to some friends home and try it elsewhere...
anyone else? :)

[ambosen]

How many connections are you sharing with other people? At anything much over 512k as a connection speed, you shouldn't be having this issue to begin with. I'd check to see what's turned your overall connection speed to a crawl.

[Slater]

dfffdf

[Daggial]

my connection just works great... no crashes, about 800-850kb/s download speed, average 60-90 ping alla over europe... i still think it's not connection related, i would have noticed lesser performance in that case (not only in steam)

maybe it's the upload bandwidth causing it?

at my home i got my father using his notebook sometimes, and he just send a few mails sometimes, noone else is sharing my connection.

Originally posted by †MeoW† cheetos_:

dfffdf

dafuq? :)

is there anybody else who still has this issue?

[Turtl3Ass4ssin]

I have a similar problem! :( No server lists for any game will show up. I have tried the steam server list and the normal one in game for multiple games and can't fix it. I have tried all the recommended fixes with no luck.

[ambosen]

So you probably only have a 1.5 megabyte DSL connection, and it's shared, with other people who can reasonably be expected to be using it at the same time you are.

There's your problem, especially if you're running off of a wireless connection. Add in the fact that many servers in the browser are in the United States, and you may have a ping limit in place, (most people set theirs to about 150) and you'd be lucky to see any at all.

[Daggial]

have even read my last message? u didnt understand anything...

Originally posted by ambosen:

it's shared, with other people who can reasonably be expected to be using it at the same time you are.

i told you i share connection with anyone except my father, and the problem still remains when he's not connected

Originally posted by ambosen:

Add in the fact that many servers in the browser are in the United States, and you may have a ping limit in place, (most people set theirs to about 150) and you'd be lucky to see any at all.

i told you my ping on eu servers is good. I CAN RECOGNISE EU from US servers....

Originally posted by ambosen:

There's your problem, especially if you're running off of a wireless connection.

i didnt talk about wireless

you just invent a solution to a problem u invented.
i appreciate the help, but you don't know what u are talking about.

[Daggial]

seem like i found some "workaround", but im not fully satisfied...
i changed the CafeRate key in the Windows register (regedit) like suggested in steam FAQs.
this works good if you search servers directly from steam, but doesn't change anything with the in-game research screen (in Chivarly: medieval warfare, in this case. haven't tried out the other games yet)
at least i can refresh the servers, but i have to do it out the game (and doesn't always auto-connect from windows/steam whit the game opened on main manu).
maybe i'll find out more.

[Turtl3Ass4ssin]

Originally posted by daggial*152:

seem like i found some "workaround", but im not fully satisfied...
i changed the CafeRate key in the Windows register (regedit) like suggested in steam FAQs.
this works good if you search servers directly from steam, but doesn't change anything with the in-game research screen (in Chivarly: medieval warfare, in this case. haven't tried out the other games yet)
at least i can refresh the servers, but i have to do it out the game (and doesn't always auto-connect from windows/steam whit the game opened on main manu).
maybe i'll find out more.

Please comment back here if you find any fixes! As I will too! It sucks! :( I can't even connect multiplayer on games not associated with Steam.

[ShiGGz]

Although this post is a few months old now i feel the need to add to it. I have been having this same issue for the last 4 years and i felt that it was ISP based until reading your posts about editing your registry.

Thinking about it now i cant remember if this started happening once i built my current PC or once i moved house and ISP... i have a Asus p9x79 mobo which is pretty good so i wouldn't want to say its my network card and i am on a Virgin 152mb fibre line. I have seen this question asked in a different context in different forums and people there stated Virgin are known for throttling your connection if too much traffic flows through suddenly, like when a game is pulling server info from 1000's of places all at once... other big providers may also do this suggesting an answer to why everyone in this thread has said they dont experience the problem on their slower, cheaper connections.

To any having this problem, try calling your internet provider and simply explain the situation, i doubt they would want to admit they throttle you but its them or your network card (based on above posts)

[MF DOOM]

i still get this exact problem. even chrome browser wont work for a few minutes after hitting refresh, says no internet connection but the connection is fine. i've had this problem on many different computers, accounts, and different isp's in different states.... any game you need to use the steam server browser for makes me cringe. i would prefer to use the steam browser more, but you have to wait 5 minutes after u refresh to even google the phrase "steam server browser won't refresh". SEEMS LIKE VALVE IS TOO BUSY DROWNING IN MONEY TO FIX THIS

[Wolfgang Der Vollstrecker]

Has anyone found a solution?

[Daggial]

7 year later from when i first wrote this post (and way more since the problem existed)

and now im once again getting notifications from people answering to it lol

no i don't think they never fixed that

valve probabbly doesn't give a ♥♥♥♥ considering how few games are still working with the steam server browser these days

not like they ever did

[Wolfgang Der Vollstrecker]

This is the only Post that describe the Problem Accurately. I turned down the Server Browser-Pings per minute, and have to test if it helps. Provider Throttling seems Plausible.