personally, i've never had this issue. if the launcher is unable to reach the patch server, then i would assume that there is a connection issue going on. do you have a firewall that may be blocking the connection? if you're in a university or behind a complex LAN perhaps your network is blocking that connection? have you tried doing trace routes using this thread's testing procedures:
Comments
http://nw-forum.perfectworld.com/showthread.php?161081-Pro-Tips-on-Diagnosing-Lag-and-Rubberbanding
i realize it specifically is labeled as lag and rubberband testing but a trace route can diagnose other connection issues as well.
please provide more information so that we can assist you.
thanks.