It's probably best to not use the in-game browser, a lot of fake servers filled with bots there
Use gametracker and search zombies are whatever you fancy, which removes any servers that are filled with bots https://www.gametracker.com/search/cod4/
You can also check my servers here : http://cod4-server.info/?page=servers ( i currently don't have any zombie servers, but I used to and might bring it back soon
If your playing on PC then most cod4 servers are hosted in Europe so you will have a high ping.
Here are a list of servers hosted in USA: https://www.gametracker.com/search/cod4/US/?
Also in console type \com_maxpackets 100
(125 if using codx). This will improve your ping.
https://www.gametracker.com/server_info/176.57.128.102:28963/ this was the best server ever... 5 or 6 years ago was always full ... now it is dead as a lot of other
I'm sorry, mine actually stopped working as well. What DOES work for me is going straight to a server via IP address.
Here is a list of servers that you can join.
You can click "Add New Favorite" under the favorites tab when browsing servers in COD4, and then there will prompt a space for an IP address. Copy that sucker in and you're golden.
Same here, 4 days ago with my colleague, he lost his list and one hour later me as well, since then list is updating but empty, all tried, re-installation tried but it did not helped. There is also some folder with "servercahe" or so missing from sudden in the game folders, tried everything, over Game tracker i can login into games now again, but it works only with the application, the old server under 1.0 patch are not there. Patch 1.7 now. There is also one fresh new forum regarding this: https://www.gametracker.com/games/cod4/forum.php?post=372131