Wrong password saved W2K & XP Pro DUN

Heres what happens: I set up my DUN for internet and set my password (6 characters) and click the "save password" box. When i then open up DUN or click on IE (v.6) the connect box comes up with a password that is about 20 characters long. I then delete it, type in my correct password and connect with no problem. If i clear the "save password" box and then connect and disconnect several times, it stays blank. But as soon as i check the save password box, it comes up with that long password. I don't use a log on password for the pc since this is just a PC at home. And I don't use any type of password "wallet" software to save passwords. Any suggestions? Come to think of it, i cant remember if i ever tried connecting with the long password. Does microsoft ever put in extra asterisks to just make it look like a long password? I've never seen that or heard of it but at work, our Lotus does that. When you type a password you get 4 asterisks for each letter typed!