Problem with Ethernet Card connecting to game servers (Ex. Origin/Steam)

I just reinstalled windows 7 on my Intel 520 120gb 1 week ago. Everything went fine, and I was using wireless that whole time. I could use steam and was able to play BF3. I just got back to my university after spring break, and started using my Ethernet cable. I can use internet explorer just fine, and I can use skype. Well... I can't connect to ANY game server, ex Steam, Origin, EvE Online... nothing. I get the same "no connection", my origin friends list wont load and when I try to launch BF3, I get the "disconnected from EA servers (1)". All other games I try to launch do the same thing.

The strange thing is, when I switch to wireless, EVERYTHING works just fine. Before I went on break (before windows 7 reinstall), all my programs and games worked fine on wired and wireless.

My Specs -
Windows 7 Home Edition 64bit
Intel 2720QM
Intel 520 120GB
WD Scorpio Black 500GB HDD
AMD 6970m
8GB Kingston Hyper-x
Atheros AR8151 Gigabit Ethernet Controller (Standard alienware network card)
DW1501 Wireless-N WLAN Half-Mini Card (Standard wireless card)


The list of stuff I've tried already -
Uninstalled driver, and reinstalled newest driver from the dell website.
Disabled and Re-enabled ethernet card
Did a diagnosis (no result)
Lots of other things which I can't remember

Only thing I can't do is mess with router/modem as I connect through my university's internet connection. Although there shouldn't be anything wrong with it since it just worked a week earlier.

 

I honestly sounds like they (your university) is using port security of some type. We had this setup at my work. Basically, wireless allows you to log on and connect to whatever based solely on its DNS entries ( filters, etc) or IP's.

However, on the hardwire side of things, it is much different. Unless you authenticate with a specific MAC address or PC name (MAC is much more secure) then you only get basic web capabilities. The port numbers needed to connect to Steam/Origin/etc are disallowed for whatever reason. This also prevents people from using torrents as saturating your wireless with P2P traffic only hurts the one torrenting.

You can call your helpdesk and verify that you can use these ports:

Application: BF31 External port: 443 Internal port: 443 Protocol: TCP

Application: BF32 Port range: 9960 - 9969 Protocol: TCP

Application: BF33 Port range: 1024 - 1124 Protocol: TCP/UDP

Application: BF34 External port: 18000 Internal port: 18000 Protocol: TCP/UDP

Application: BF35 External port: 18120 Internal port: 18120 Protocol: TCP

Application: BF36 External port: 18060 Internal port: 18060 Protocol: TCP

Application: BF37 External port: 27900 Internal port: 27900 Protocol: TCP

Application: BF38 External port: 28910 Internal port: 28910 Protocol: TCP

Application: BF39 External port: 29900 Internal port: 29900 Protocol: TCP/UDP

Source : Findports - Battlefield 3 (Origin) tcp/udp ports list


The process you went through to double check things was sound and would be what I did first. However, it is very possible your I.T. department was waiting until Spring Break to implement the new security appliance.

Honestly it sucks, I know, but this is precisely what I would do if I were the I.T. Director there. Students are known for using P2P and blocking it just causes issues. So, you want to torrent? Sure, just saturate your own wireless connection and leave everyone else out of it.

 

That was one of the possibilities I figured, but it just worked last week . Guess I have to wait till I get home to see if its my school here blocking it, or if its something else. Its just wierd that every single game that I own that connects to the internet won't work on wired, but they work on the crappy wireless. Thanks for the reply though.