Constant In-Game Freezing!

Hi everyone, can someone please help me?

I just got back to AVA after a break because i was focusing on my music studies, and i find that when i join a game i can play for a certain amount of time before the game will lag/freeze for a period of time. Its either about 15 seconds or over 30 seconds. 15 seconds usually just ends up in my being killed during the freezetime, and then i continue for a wile until it freezes again, and 30 seconds+ usually ends up in a D/C back into the lobby. I used to run AVA very well when it first came out, and then again some time after that. This is my 3rd time returning to the game, the last time i stopped playing was a bit after the Prison Break release i think. Its def not my PC, even tho it can just run AVA at about 25FPS at lowest possible gfx. i close alot of backround stuff, shut down antivirus and firewall, set craphics driver setting to highest performance. I have tried everything but it makes no impact. I am pretty certain that it is either my internet connection, because i am using a different one to when i previously played, although the speeds are pretty similiar and i only have these connection problems with AVA. I also think it could be the games fault but can someone give me some help. If it helps i live in NZ, which is kinda far from US so i dunno if that makes a difference, even though i was in NZ when playing AVA before, and my old ISP was Telecom Broadband, and the one i have no is Orcon Broadband. PLease help this freezing is getting on my nerves and i dont want to go back to Combat Arms....