How do I add pppd options to Network Manager VPN connection?

I have two systems in my home. One is Windows XP, and I can connect to my employer's VPN using XP. I cannot do this using Ubuntu 7.04 or 7.10. I am currently running Ubuntu 7.10. Both systems use wireless cards to connect to the wireless router, which routes to a DSL modem. I have also tried the Ubuntu system directly cabled to the router.

After reading some helpful information in Ubuntu forums, I am able to get further along in the connecting process from a few messages indicating failure. Right now, I actually connect, and from looking at syslog, it seems as if I would need to put in a pppd delay, at least it seems like a reasonable thing to try. However, adding the connect-delay option on the ppp options tab of configure vpn in network manager causes the connection to fail before trying to connect and also for network-manager's icon to disappear from my upper toolbar.

1) How can I add pppd options in Network-Manager?

2) If I need to modify the files created by Network-Manager, which files are those? I can probably figure out how to change the syntax.

3) I looked today and could not find a file that was invoking pppd.

4) Is there an open source application I can use outside network-manager, would you send me some links on how to do this manually?

Thanks.
Charles Norton