Why does PunkBuster kick me for INIT FAILURE?
Usually, this message means your PB is not working properly. You should run our
PBWEB program to make sure your PB is up to date.
However, we have recently discovered that some broadband routers routinely drop OOB (Out of Band) packets for no apparent reason. Since all PB packets are OOB, these routers can actually block PB's communication (again for no apparent reason). To determine if the router is the cause of this problem for you, remove the router and connect directly to the internet. If you are able to play this way, then the cause is very likely the router.
Based on user feedback, the following router brands/models are reported to have problems. Not necessarily all models of a brand might be affected, and the list is in no way complete but it can give you a few hints. Also, we do not claim that our list below shows the only solution to fix your issue, nor that it will fix it for sure even though it has worked for others. It could very well be that changing some settings in your router could help as well. Contacting the company directly might help you as well.
Linksys - possible solution: Use firmware 1.44.2
Motorola - possible solution: Update to latest firmware
Netgear - possible solution: Disable SPI (statefull packet inspection)