Most ISPs use trunk hunting and groups of dial-in lines called hunt groups. Trunk hunting is a method used to switch incoming calls to the next consecutive or available number in a hunt group. If the first number called is busy or unavailable, the call should be automatically switched to the next number in the hunt group. Webbworks uses a different approach. This is a group of 24 lines that are switched digitally by the phone company.
Problems related to hunt groups are difficult to detect and troubleshoot.
Consequently, to protect yourself against such problems, ask your ISP for a list of your hunt group's individual phone numbers. If you have this list of phone numbers, you can dial any of these direct phone numbers to connect to your ISP rather than dialing the hunt group's dial-in string. If you're experiencing dropped connections, you may want to contact your phone company. It is recommended that you only contact your phone company about chronic problems. It is recommended that you wait until drops exceeds ten before sending an E-mail.