Press CTRL+ALT+DEL and select Task Manager
Go to the PROCESSES tab
Find PnkBstrA.exe and PnkBstrB.exe and END PROCESS on both of them
Download PBSVC.exe from http://www.evenbalance.com/downloads/pbsvc/pbsvc.exe [evenbalance.com] and run it as Administrator. It will check and update Punkbuster.
Download PBSetup from http://www.evenbalance.com/index.php?page=pbsetup.php [evenbalance.com] and run it as Administrator (Add all the games you have installed to the list) and run the process.
Log back in to Battlelog and connect to a server of your choice.

This should resolve the kicking after 5 minutes that some of you are seeing.

For the PC players getting disconnected, can you please run a WireShark log while you are playing/getting disconnected and get the LOG file to me?
If you aren't familiar with WireShark, I have made this quick and easy guide for you to follow (NOTE: No network traffic data is sent to EA/DICE or Evenbalance while you run Wireshark, the only time we will see your network traffic is when/if you send us the log file):


Install


Download Wireshark from http://www.wireshark.org/download.html [wireshark.org] ensuring you get the correct version (32 or 64 bit). The website should highlight the correct one for your needs.
Install it by following the Install Shield directions it provides
When it asks which components you want to install, have all of them highlighted
You can chose whether to allow its File Extension associations
Install WinPcap when requested, without this the live data won’t be captured
You can chose whether to allow WinPcap loads at boot time
Load Wireshark
Clicking INTERFACE LIST will show all network adapters on the PC. It will also show which one is active as Packets will be flowing on that connection
If you don't use all your network connections you should disable everything except the one you want to use through the Control Panel.
Upload your wireshark log to a file sharing site like Mediafire.

Using Wireshark


From the INTERFACE LIST window click on OPTIONS
In this window leave all the options as they are by default
Disable/turn off all other software including Web Browsers, Messenger Services, Downloads, Spotify etc.
Load Battlelog and find the server to join or be ready to hit QUICK PLAY
On Wireshark window click START, it should change to a window showing network activity, this is normal


NOTE: IF network traffic doesn’t start to populate the screen, then the wrong network adapter has been selected and should return to the start of this guide and select another network adapter.


Join the server you want to play on in Battlelog and let Battlefield 3 load and begin playing as normal
When you disconnect from the server go to Wireshark
At the top under the word VIEW (4th icon from the left) is a little red STOP sign which when you highlight it says "STOP THE RUNNING LIVE CAPTURE" - Click it
Go to FILE - SAVE AS and save the log somewhere that is easy to find
Ensure that CAPTURED and ALL PACKETS under the Packet Range is selected
Once the file is saved, have the file zipped or rar´d and made available.


Another common issue which affects PC and consoles is the uPnP setting in the routers.
Following the manual from your router manufacturer, go in to your router control panel and enable/disable uPnP (the opposite of whatever is active at the time) and try BF3 again.

Ensure your HOSTS file is not blocking EA network traffic by visiting this Microsoft site and running their repair tool.
http://support.microsoft.com/kb/972034 [support.microsoft.com]


These aren't the only issue out there of course but someone at DICE will be back to explain more as soon as we have the details.

We have determined that the root cause resulting in the server bans is not directly related to Battlefield 3, but rather related to select 3rd party services which server owners can use in conjunction with PunkBuster to protect their servers.

If you are able to log in to Battlelog, your account has not been banned by EA or DICE so there is no need to contact Customer Support.

This issue did not affect Xbox 360 or PlayStation 3 players of Battlefield 3.

UPDATE: As seen in the comments, we are receiving reports that this issue is still affecting some players. We are continuing to investigate what may be causing this issue with some servers.

If you are still experiencing problems please try joining other PunkBuster enabled servers - only a subset of servers are affected.

An update to PunkBuster that will resolve this issue will be automatically downloaded when players login to play.

If this update is not automatically downloaded and installed, the "PBSetup" can be found, downloaded, and installed here: http://www.evenbalance.com/index.php?page=dl-bf3.php [evenbalance.com]

Group A:


Spain - Hungary

As expected, Nations Cup kicked off this monday with some good games!
We are still waiting for the results to be submitted for the Spain vs Hungary game but it´s clear that Hungary stands as a winner from that game and takes a win with them into the next round of the group stage.


Norway - Netherlands

One of the bigger matches that are probably going to have a deciding factor on the outcome of the group was the match between world class teams Norway and Netherlands. Both teams presented a solid lineup but in the end Norway managed to come out of the game as the clear winner with 149 Tickets to 40.

Germany - Croatia

Sunday 29th of January 21:00 CET


Group B:


Team UK - Team Serbia

Team United Kingdom played a convincing game against Team Serbia and managed to seal the victory with 426 tickets to Serbia´s 0 tickets. Not much more to say than, great game Team UK and it looks like they are of course going to go far.

Denmark - Czech Republic

All eyes on Denmark!

Monday 30th of January 20:15 CET


Romania - Poland

This will probably be a close game but considering Poland´s Battlefield history, I think the points will go to them.

Sunday 29th of January 21:00 CET


Group C:


Belgium - Australia

Australia beats Belgium with 360 Tickets to 0.


Finland - South Africa

Finland has during the years displayed some amazing plays and great BF teams. There is probably no doubt that the finnish side will bring this home but I´m very interested to see if South Africa manages to take the victory or even win a round or two.

Sunday 29th of January 21:00 CET


Russia - Portugal

Not much to say here. Russians will definitely show their strength against a team that is probably not going to make it through to the playoffs.

Sunday 29th of January 21:00 CET


Group D:


Cyprus - Sweden

This one is quite easy. I predict Sweden will win this one.

Sunday 29th of January 21:00 CET


Lithuania - Italy

Sunday 29th of January 21:00 CET


Bulgaria - Slovakia

Sunday 29th of January 21:00 CET

We are aware that some Battlefield 3 players are experiencing connection issues with PunkBuster enabled servers.

This problem is limited to a small subset of players on PC and will not impact players on PlayStation 3 or Xbox 360.

We are actively looking into the specifics of this issue and we are confident that we will have a permanent solution in place shortly.

In the meantime, if your connectivity has been affected, we recommend that in the interim you join servers that are not running PunkBuster. There is a filter setting for this in the multiplayer server browser.

Thank you for your patience.