Teegrins, Ninjaii!


I'm no expert either, but to me, that seems like a connection issue more than anything else. It is not that I can outright rule out driver issues, however, but I would definitely guess a connection issue first, similar to what you seem to have been told.

If it was an issue with the server itself, though, everyone connecting to the particular server should be able to experience the problem. That said, we all connect to the servers via more or less different routes, and similarly, different areas in the game are often (always?) located on a different server machine, hence one can have issues with one area while there is none with another one.

So, some things to try out/check:
Firewall/malware.
Check that the ports FFXI uses are not blocked, and try to make sure that there is no malware conducting ill deeds.
Re-set the modem/router box.
This may also re-set the IP address of the machine, depending on the set-up. Also contact your Internet Service Provider to inquire if they can see any issues on the way to the server(s).

Since the problem may arise on the way to the server, instead of at the server or at your locale (hardware issues for example), there's little that can be done in such a situation other than contacting the ISP, or perhaps forcing a different route. I do hope it's only a temporary issue that will 'solve itself' soon enough.

See RAIST's and SE_James's posts here for some numbers and more ideas:

Good luck!