Freelancer is not Running with Compatibility Mode/Administrator Access

From The Starport

Symptoms: Unable to connect with or even see servers.

Cause: Freelancer was not designed with Windows Vista or Windows 7's more restrictive security parameters. It usually requires compatibility mode enabled and administrative access.

Solution(s): You need to enable compatibility mode and administrator mode. To do this, look for Freelancer's shortcut. Right click on it and select "Properties". In the dialog, switch to the "Compatibility" tab. First tick the box named "Run this program in compatibility mode for:" and select "Windows XP (Service Pack 2)". Then, tick "Run this program as an administrator". One downside is that you will need to click on a UAC (User Access Control) prompt every time you launch the game.