atcomsystems.ca/forum Forums Wiring - Telecom Carriers - Trunks & Services Telecom Service & Providers Cable Co. Hunt Group Service

Yesterday I saw something I've never seen before. My customer called with a strange ringing problem. They had three pots lines in a hunt group supplied by the local telco. Worked fine. If line 1 was busy, the next call rolled over to line 2, etc. Simple key system, brand isn't important.

Customer changed dial tone provider last fall. Left telco and went to Mediacom cable company, who is now providing dial tone to some businesses in town. Cable co. switched the lines, everything seemed ok.

I happened to be in the customer's office yesterday and noticed how an incoming call is handled in the cable company's "hunt group". If all lines are idle, an incoming call will ring in on line 1. Good. After two rings, the call starts ringing on line 2, and is dropped on line 1! After two more rings, the call starts ringing on line 3, and is dropped on line 2!!!

What kind of hunt is this?

Jim

Sounds like some sort of "No Answer Divert" as opposed to a "Busy Hunt/Divert"

Sam

Cable companies do not understand hunting. They think it is hunt on No Answer as well as busy. If you have your Auto Attendant/Voice Mail set to answer on 4 rings, you will never get the call!!

Charter Cable says they can't disable that "feature", but I have been able to have them set the Hunting Ring number to something like 30 rings, to effectively bypassing the problem, but it's like pulling teeth to find someone that understands what you want to do.

We have Comcast in this area. You are correct Tommy, They do not use "hunting" lines like we are accustomed to. Their hunt group is a forward on busy to the next line and no forwarding on the last line. Yoda, it sounds like they have it set for forward no answer to the next line. Comcast is kicking the crap out of Verizon.
They can provide multiple lines with 30-60 mbps of bandwith for short money and are rolling out PRI service.

I live and work in "Beverly Hills East" where it is not unusual for a residential customer to own a house of 20,000 square feet or more. These houses have staff quarters, garages, pool houses, guest cottages, gate houses, etc, and require a key system to make it all work.

The local cable company WILL NOT provide hunting on residential lines. The customer must create a business account to get hunting. They absolutely do not understand the nature of the demographics in their own service area. It drives me crazy.

I was there when the customer called in the trouble report, and all they could do was increase the number of rings before the transfer happened.

It almost sounds like it's a hunt for a number that will answer. Like trying a landline number first, then if no answer, trying a cell number, then another number, etc.. That might be ok for some single line uses, but definately not for a business multi line hunt.

I agree, they don't understand hunting, a basic business requirement for phone lines. Cable companies should stick to providing tv programming.

Jim

Now ya got it......they are used to single line users....had an insurance agency that put up with CATV dial tone for a couple of months and went back to Ma Bell just because of this same problem.

The rep told the customer that if they had three phone sets they needed three telephone numbers. If set/line one didn't answer in three rings it went to the next and so on until it got back to set one and started all over again until it had rung like 20 times.

I told the customer to tell them that they had 40 or 50 sets....CATV couldn't furnish that many numbers so they voided the contract and the customer went back to Ma Bell....and the problem went away.

Stupid is as stupid does....Yoda, what channel does Johnny show up on????

TTT is right they just don't understand!!! I was on the phone with the cable co. the other day and boy was I frustrated. Esp. after being on the phone with them for a half an hour and they said they made the changes after I explained to the them. I hang up and test and like I assumed it still didn't work and had to call back!!!

Had the same issue with Insight Cable in Louisville, KY. Line 1 rang 4 times it went to Line 2 and then back to line 1 before it went to voice mail provided by them. They couldn't grasp the idea that if somebody didn't answer the phone in 4 rings chances are there not going to answer it in 12.

Ken,

Do you mean Johnny Carson? Late night hasn't been the same since he left

As far as hunt groups, . . . live and learn.

Jim