[Gmail-Users] Disable Auto-connection?

My G-Mail is on an XP machine through a dialup ISP. G-Mail
persistently tries to make a dialup connection to check for mail, often
when I am not even at home. This has resulted in the computer being
connected online for hours at a time. Friends, family and customers
have comoplained that all they ever get is a busy signal, even when no
one has even been at home. I recently obtained a utility that allows
me to ascertain what program has activated the Windows dialup
connection dialog - it always comes back to the Google software.

Is there a way to disable the automatic dialup routine until needed, or
to make it a user option - Auto-connect or Manual connect? If not,
please consider adding it. I need my customer communications more than
I need G-Mail, and am considering unistalling G-Mail in favor of the
former.