Have you tried these things http://www.gnutellaforums.com/connec...t-connect.html such as disabling some of the advanced performance options? At least until you are able to connect. Another option is to see if you can get FrostWire to connect. Another option I rarely mention to Windows users is to try an alternative computer account or set one up, if only just to see if LW will connect. If yes, then something is amiss with your main account.

Sometimes people install or update security software and the side-effect of this is LW is blocked somehow. LW may need to be put on the exception list of one of them that might be causing the issue. Other than Java, have you updated anything else or installed any other software between when LW last worked and now? It sounds like LW worked fine a year ago but not now.

Have you tried deleting LW's preferences folder? Saving the downloads file before you do if you still have incomplete downloads.

When you open LW, quickly go to the Tools menu -> Advanced Tools, and check to see if LW is actually trying to connect. Or is the window blank? Also, does it say you are behind a firewall on the top left side of that same window?