Cause When you create a new connection, you must provide the dial-up access number for modem connections. However, many ISPs give you multiple numbers. This way, if one line is busy, you can try a different number. Even though the wizard does not give you the option to enter additional numbers, you can easily add them once the connection is created.
The Pain Killer To add alternative numbers, follow these steps:
- Click Start | Connect To | Show all Connections.
- In the Network Connections window, right-click the desired connection and click Properties.
- On the General tab, click the Alternates button.
- In the Alternate Phone Numbers window, click the Add button.
- In the Add Alternate Phone Number window, enter the additional phone number you want to use. If you want to use dialing rules, click the check box and choose the country/region code from the drop-down menu. Click OK when you are done.
The new number now appears on the Alternate Phone Numbers page, shown in the illustration. You can continue to add new numbers, or you can edit or delete them at any time using this page.
If you want the dial-up connection to automatically try the next number when the first one fails, click the check box option at the bottom of the window. You can also choose to automatically move the successful number to the top of the list. Both of these settings can be really helpful. However, make sure the additional numbers you configure to dial are not long-distance calls!
