Just submitted my entry. The first time I hit submit, I received no confirmation number. I tried again a few minutes later and received a number. I sure hope I have not entered twice. It seems to me that many people have been having this issue. It really astounds me at how shit the US government is at building websites. The number of issues that the DV lottery has had over the years is too damn high. A good way to solve this issue, and to stop people from losing confirmation numbers, would be to send applicants an email confirmation after a successful application.
It's far easier to blame the US government rather than looking at how best one can sort the issue from our end. I have applied a couple of times during various stages of the registration period with no issues whatsoever. I'll list some of the stuff that can help in cases like these.
1) Have a dedicated link to your broadband connection (using an RJ-45 Ethernet cable plugged directly into a router (preferred as connections are less likely to be lost) or a modem.
2) Ensure that the internet connection doesn't have other traffic competing for bandwidth (any streaming data, other webpages loading etc).
3)Use a browser that has been proven to be compatible with the site (Firefox (I can vouch for it since I use it) or IE (as confirmed by other members))
4)Ensure other programs such as your anti virus or firewall options are not too intrusive as these can also cause issues.
5) Finally, the most important thing to look into is whether you have a stable internet connection (one that is only likely to be disconnected if you do so from you end).
If you follow the steps I have mentioned above, you shouldn't have any issues. Have never given me any issues throughout my long browsing career.
Almost two weeks have passed since registration opened, my warm wishes to all those taking part and all the very best to each and every one of you.