Sounds like you're connecting, but not fully.
Try some of the things listed here.

There's also another method that involves de-selecting "run in background" in your options menu and then opening multiple copies of the TEF client until you get one that connects, then closing the extras.

PS - the forums aren't down, just relocated! :3

Haha, no problem! You pick up a couple tricks after having been here a while (The players have put together a ton of resources for new folks, too)
Hope you find one that works!

Hmm. Might try the method where you open several windows at once, then. I'll try to see if I can find the original post about it, but it's pretty much as described above.

Can't seem to find that original post - the person who put it up may have deleted it.
If none of those things work for you, triple check your connection and firewall/restart your router. After that, it may be something more technical that the usual tricks don't work on so well.

You wouldn't happen to be in Australia, would you?

No, Australia is notorious for bad connections haha. Sometimes it seems to be literally the only reason a person can't connect.

Edit: Here's another set of suggestions.

Unfortunately it may also be the case that it just doesn't work for you tonight. It may work fine tomorrow, or in a week, or in a month. Sometimes it's weird like that .-.

And yeah.. a day later, and still I can't connect..>__<" Not sure what I can do anymore..

Thank you for the welcome! And yes, I did restart twice and only opening TEF and it didn't work. And the messing around with the controls and turned off the pictograms and all that I tried as well, and STILL I get the orange dot. I even waited for 2 hours straight with TEF open on my laptop to see if it would fully connect me and it never did. Finally, as a last resort, I uninstalled it and reinstalled it and that didn't even work either. ;/

Everything else is okay, like everything I connect to normally doesn't run slow or anything. But I think its just my computer doesn't do good with these kinds of games or something, honestly. Which is really disappointing because I was really looking forward to being able to play TEF for it seems like my kind of thing. I will stay optimistic though and do everything I can if the problem is still persistent. And thank you very much. ^^

I'm actually having the same exact problem. I am only able to fully connect between 1am to 10am, and it only started doing this around a month ago. It's a pain in the butt and I'm not sure when it's going to fix itself. @_@ I usually have no problems when it comes to pictograms spreading, and my internet connection is fine, so I think TEF is just being weird to some players right now. Which sucks.

@Crematorium & Alcinda

I have a fix that works for me, and I hope it helps y'all too though it is probably a slim chance-- since I don't think it's been suggested (though I only ctrl+f'd) I'd say it's worth a shot to dig out an ethernet cable and try wiring into the modem/wall/router/whatever directly to eliminate the possibility that it's your wireless and to eliminate the possibility that there's anything interfering with your connection (sometimes too many walls between you and a router and I've heard that even things like glass from animal tanks can mess with it).

Even though my laptop gets along fine with the internet wireless and I can use it for any other online game, it just won't do TEF. Even my desktop using wireless won't run TEF and needs an ethernet cable life support. I'm a little suspicious that TEF prioritizes player connection by the strength of their internet connection but that's just guesswork.

I hope you guys get stuff working for you soon

I'm actually going to try that tomorrow when it is past 10-11am(when it stops connecting for me). I'll try any option at this point, because now that I have had a taste of TEF while FINALLY being connected, it has turned out to be a wonderful experience and I really want to stick around. So thank you! ^_^

AND I live in Virginia, so if you also live in VA, then we have possibly found the source of the problem. XD

Sorry I couldn't be of more help then.

I wonder if everyone made a map there might be some patterns, since you two are both east coast. Like how the game hates Australia, there might be other pockets?