I was quite joyous when I noted the obvious parallels between your description and my experience, and swiftly attempted to follow your instructions in hopes of restoring functionality to my game.
I proceeded with the steps you laid out, but my single player didn't work quite correctly, (dumping me in that beautiful but otherwise useless system we know as Omicron Major) and as such, I was unable to complete that last step.
Her name is Zane... Jun'ko Zane, by the by.
Anyways - the lack of single player functionality may be why I still can not connect to either Discovery server, and it may not be.
As far as security programs are concerned, I have Avast! and the default Microsoft programs. Both were deactivated at the time.
I should note that I was earlier able to briefly access the European server, but when I typed in the name I desired for myself, it said it was already taken. This was obviously not true, given the uniqueness that is my name. I tried a different name, but to no avail whatsoever. I then disconnected from the server, hoping to reconnect, but I have not been able to do so ever since.
Thank you in advance for any help you might offer, be it useful or useless.
