Repeated "Connection to the Server was Lost" aka can't play the game...

[Raist]

Most likely your routing, especially for the Comcast user in Minnesota:
http://downdetector.com/status/comcast-xfinity
http://downdetector.com/status/comcast-xfinity/map/

Comcast users continually report issues with stability...and nearly everyone of them is getting routed through Level3. Level3's car2 lines through Montreal routinely show up in traces where people are having issues with services--not just FFXIV, but even non-game related services like Netflix and such. It is a known troubled corridor that Comcast refuses to address (Comcast is responsible for setting up and managing that peering agreement, not the content provider like SE).

If you are comfortable with doing so, run some traces to your lobby server and if you find signs oh high congestion like large intermittent spikes/packet loss, forward your findings to your ISP's Tier3 support team for review. Here are the DNS names for the original NA lobby servers (the last one is now in Europe):

neolobby02.ffxiv.com (Aether)
neolobby04.ffxiv.com (Primal)
neolobby06.ffxiv.com (Chaos)

Again... restating this because it is the key to getting these things addressed: Need to be in touch specifically with your ISP's Tier3 support (sometimes referred to as Engineering).

You may need to push for a supervisor if they play dumb or give you the run around. The lower tiers that work the helpdesk calls will typically not be able to address these issues---they only manage localized issues and not something occurring in another city/state/country along your route, which is more commonly where these problems reside. Typically, you fair better using online contacts than the phone because of the limitations set upon those helpdesk call centers. The pages I linked above has contact links to social media and such you can try. You can follow the Companies link up top to see a list of other services they track as well. AT&T, Verizon, TWC, PSN, XBL, Netflix...a ton of services are tracked there.

And yes... this IS something your ISP can and should address. They assign who you use for peering. They arrange for the amount of bandwidth provided upstream through those third party lines. They have the means to either increase that bandwidth if necessary---or make arrangements to use an alternate peer for getting to the specific ASN for the network you are trying reach. For example, Comcast peers with all 5 of the ISP's that Ormuco peers with (SE's ISP). They do NOT have to keep you locked onto Level3's network for peering between Minnesota and Canada if they can't/won't negotiate improvements to Level3's peering arrangement.

Here is a listing of the peers associated with Comcast's routing servers (found the list by looking up one of their Chicago routers):
http://bgp.he.net/AS7922#_peers

That lists 203 different ISP's they have agreements with for connecting to content on other people's networks. Ormuco (AS20324) uses 5: TiNet SPA, TATA, Level3, Verizon Business (UUNET), and Cogent. Those appear in that list at numbers 1, 2, 6, 13, and 27 respectively. Personally, TATA seems to be the best peer for me to use on TWC from here in the Carolinas with Cogent running second and LEvel3 being the absolute worst we have tried. And yes...Time Warner has been moving me around trying to avoid the congested corridors. NOT SE, but TIME WARNER has been working on keeping this stable for us. For nearly a year now since I pulled in their Tier3 team, I have not had to resort to a VPN to correct the routing problems...because my ISP's Tier3 team stepped up to the plate on my behalf.