First post here, let me know if I omit any relevant information that would help diagnose this issue.
Long story short, someone installed KB2720211 on my server lately and when I went to synchronize WSUS to our upstream server yesterday, the MMC kept crashing (I would get the "reset server node page"). So I proceeded to remove WSUS and the DB and kept the downloaded updates. After a reinstallation yesterday, I synchronized and none of my clients are showing up in WSUS. I get error 80072EFD on the clients when I check for updates. Here's what I could gather from the WindowsUpdate log on one of the clients (I removed links as they contained IPs and also can't post links yet from my account). Any ideas? Any help would be greatly appreciated!! I'm baffled, it's probably something really obvious that I'm not seeing.
2012-12-20 12:05:04:644 864 78c AU Triggering AU detection through DetectNow API
2012-12-20 12:05:04:645 864 78c AU Triggering Online detection (interactive)
2012-12-20 12:05:04:659 864 1b3c AU #############
2012-12-20 12:05:04:659 864 1b3c AU ## START ## AU: Search for updates
2012-12-20 12:05:04:659 864 1b3c AU #########
2012-12-20 12:05:04:661 864 1b3c AU <<## SUBMITTED ## AU: Search for updates [CallId = {FD9471F3-5B5A-49EA-BB55-1961BC3A286C}]
2012-12-20 12:05:04:661 864 1518 Agent *************
2012-12-20 12:05:04:661 864 1518 Agent ** START ** Agent: Finding updates [CallerId = AutomaticUpdates]
2012-12-20 12:05:04:661 864 1518 Agent *********
2012-12-20 12:05:04:661 864 1518 Agent * Online = Yes; Ignore download priority = No
2012-12-20 12:05:04:661 864 1518 Agent * Criteria = "IsInstalled=0 and DeploymentAction='Installation' or IsPresent=1 and DeploymentAction='Uninstallation' or IsInstalled=1 and DeploymentAction='Installation' and RebootRequired=1
or IsInstalled=0 and DeploymentAction='Uninstallation' and RebootRequired=1"
2012-12-20 12:05:04:661 864 1518 Agent * ServiceID = {3DA21691-E39D-4DA6-8A4B-B43877BCB1B7} Managed
2012-12-20 12:05:04:661 864 1518 Agent * Search Scope = {Machine}
2012-12-20 12:05:04:662 864 1518 Setup Checking for agent SelfUpdate
2012-12-20 12:05:04:662 864 1518 Setup Client version: Core: 7.6.7600.256 Aux: 7.6.7600.256
2012-12-20 12:05:04:662 864 1518 Misc Validating signature for C:\Windows\SoftwareDistribution\SelfUpdate\wuident.cab:
2012-12-20 12:05:04:666 864 1518 Misc Microsoft signed: Yes
2012-12-20 12:05:05:671 864 1518 Misc WARNING: Send failed with hr = 80072efd.
2012-12-20 12:05:05:671 864 1518 Misc WARNING: SendRequest failed with hr = 80072efd. Proxy List used: <(null)> Bypass List used : <(null)> Auth Schemes used : <>
2012-12-20 12:05:05:671 864 1518 Misc WARNING: WinHttp: SendRequestUsingProxy failed for . error 0x80072efd
2012-12-20 12:05:05:671 864 1518 Misc WARNING: WinHttp: SendRequestToServerForFileInformation MakeRequest failed. error 0x80072efd
2012-12-20 12:05:05:671 864 1518 Misc WARNING: WinHttp: SendRequestToServerForFileInformation failed with 0x80072efd
2012-12-20 12:05:05:672 864 1518 Misc WARNING: WinHttp: ShouldFileBeDownloaded failed with 0x80072efd
2012-12-20 12:05:06:687 864 1518 Misc WARNING: Send failed with hr = 80072efd.
2012-12-20 12:05:06:687 864 1518 Misc WARNING: SendRequest failed with hr = 80072efd. Proxy List used: <(null)> Bypass List used : <(null)> Auth Schemes used : <>
2012-12-20 12:05:06:687 864 1518 Misc WARNING: WinHttp: SendRequestUsingProxy failed for error 0x80072efd
2012-12-20 12:05:06:688 864 1518 Misc WARNING: WinHttp: SendRequestToServerForFileInformation MakeRequest failed. error 0x80072efd
2012-12-20 12:05:06:688 864 1518 Misc WARNING: WinHttp: SendRequestToServerForFileInformation failed with 0x80072efd
2012-12-20 12:05:06:688 864 1518 Misc WARNING: WinHttp: ShouldFileBeDownloaded failed with 0x80072efd
2012-12-20 12:05:07:691 864 1518 Misc WARNING: Send failed with hr = 80072efd.
2012-12-20 12:05:07:691 864 1518 Misc WARNING: SendRequest failed with hr = 80072efd. Proxy List used: <(null)> Bypass List used : <(null)> Auth Schemes used : <>
2012-12-20 12:05:07:691 864 1518 Misc WARNING: WinHttp: SendRequestUsingProxy failed for . error 0x80072efd
2012-12-20 12:05:07:691 864 1518 Misc WARNING: WinHttp: SendRequestToServerForFileInformation MakeRequest failed. error 0x80072efd
2012-12-20 12:05:07:691 864 1518 Misc WARNING: WinHttp: SendRequestToServerForFileInformation failed with 0x80072efd
2012-12-20 12:05:07:691 864 1518 Misc WARNING: WinHttp: ShouldFileBeDownloaded failed with 0x80072efd
2012-12-20 12:05:08:698 864 1518 Misc WARNING: Send failed with hr = 80072efd.
2012-12-20 12:05:08:698 864 1518 Misc WARNING: SendRequest failed with hr = 80072efd. Proxy List used: <(null)> Bypass List used : <(null)> Auth Schemes used : <>
2012-12-20 12:05:08:698 864 1518 Misc WARNING: WinHttp: SendRequestUsingProxy failed for error 0x80072efd
2012-12-20 12:05:08:698 864 1518 Misc WARNING: WinHttp: SendRequestToServerForFileInformation MakeRequest failed. error 0x80072efd
2012-12-20 12:05:08:698 864 1518 Misc WARNING: WinHttp: SendRequestToServerForFileInformation failed with 0x80072efd
2012-12-20 12:05:08:698 864 1518 Misc WARNING: WinHttp: ShouldFileBeDownloaded failed with 0x80072efd
2012-12-20 12:05:08:699 864 1518 Misc WARNING: DownloadFileInternal failed for error 0x80072efd
2012-12-20 12:05:08:699 864 1518 Setup WARNING: SelfUpdate check failed to download package information, error = 0x80072EFD
2012-12-20 12:05:08:699 864 1518 Setup FATAL: SelfUpdate check failed, err = 0x80072EFD
2012-12-20 12:05:08:699 864 1518 Agent * WARNING: Skipping scan, self-update check returned 0x80072EFD
2012-12-20 12:05:08:700 864 1518 Agent * WARNING: Exit code = 0x80072EFD
2012-12-20 12:05:08:700 864 1518 Agent *********
2012-12-20 12:05:08:700 864 1518 Agent ** END ** Agent: Finding updates [CallerId = AutomaticUpdates]
2012-12-20 12:05:08:700 864 1518 Agent *************
2012-12-20 12:05:08:700 864 1518 Agent WARNING: WU client failed Searching for update with error 0x80072efd
2012-12-20 12:05:08:701 864 18cc AU >>## RESUMED ## AU: Search for updates [CallId = {FD9471F3-5B5A-49EA-BB55-1961BC3A286C}]
2012-12-20 12:05:08:701 864 18cc AU # WARNING: Search callback failed, result = 0x80072EFD
2012-12-20 12:05:08:701 864 18cc AU # WARNING: Failed to find updates with error code 80072EFD
2012-12-20 12:05:08:701 864 18cc AU #########
2012-12-20 12:05:08:701 864 18cc AU ## END ## AU: Search for updates [CallId = {FD9471F3-5B5A-49EA-BB55-1961BC3A286C}]
2012-12-20 12:05:08:701 864 18cc AU #############
2012-12-20 12:05:08:701 864 18cc AU Successfully wrote event for AU health state:0
2012-12-20 12:05:08:702 864 18cc AU AU setting next detection timeout to 2012-12-20 22:05:08
2012-12-20 12:05:08:703 864 18cc AU Successfully wrote event for AU health state:0
2012-12-20 12:05:08:704 864 18cc AU Successfully wrote event for AU health state:0
2012-12-20 12:05:13:699 864 1518 Report REPORT EVENT: {C3C217B1-8459-46E4-9BE2-BA97C695404E} 2012-12-20 12:05:08:699-0500 1 148 101 {D67661EB-2423-451D-BF5D-13199E37DF28} 1 80072efd SelfUpdate Failure Software
Synchronization Windows Update Client failed to detect with error 0x80072efd.
2012-12-20 12:05:13:727 864 1518 Report CWERReporter::HandleEvents - WER report upload completed with status 0x8
2012-12-20 12:05:13:727 864 1518 Report WER Report sent: 7.6.7600.256 0x80072efd D67661EB-2423-451D-BF5D-13199E37DF28 Scan 101 Managed
2012-12-20 12:05:13:727 864 1518 Report CWERReporter finishing event handling. (00000000)