Outlook losing connection

[Rob]

We have a lot of computers that will lose connection to
the pop3 server at our ISP which Internet mail travels
through. Outlook will never let you know it's not
receiving Internet mail until you do a manual Send/Receive
in which it pops up with a message saying something
like "the following pop3 server cannot be contacted
<servername>". Closing Outlook and re-starting it fixes
the problem.

Any ideas on how to avoid this? It is very troublesome,
mainly because I have a computer in the corner of the room
where the whole existence of it is to forward internal
email to a Sales person on the West Coast. When it's not
working and I am not checking, it can be days before email
gets to him.

Thanks in advance.