Although swiping into university buildings takes students just a few seconds, the complex technology behind it has taken years to develop.

There are 155 door access readers in residence halls and 125 food service readers on the University Park campus.

Bruce Kline, assistant director of Penn State Police Services, said that after a student tries to swipe into a building, his card's information, stored on a magnetic strip, is sent to a control box near the door. This information is converted to a data string that is then transmitted to that building's telecommunications room.

That data is then compared with each student's unique access plan, and access is either allowed or denied, he added.

When a student swipes into a building for the first time, his or her access plan is downloaded from the main database in the Eisenhower Parking Deck over a TCP/IP connection on Penn State's backbone.

TCP/IP is a standard communications protocol that is also used on the World Wide Web.

An access plan contains information about which buildings a student is allowed to enter, and may only permit access on certain dates and times.

Joel Weidner, associate director of Housing and Food Services (HFS), said that every student's unique card number is encoded on a magnetic strip. The 16-digit numbers, which can be seen on the front of any id+ card, are pseudo-randomly assigned.

Since the same card number format is also used by banks and credit card companies across the world, the American National Standards Institute gives Penn State a certain range of numbers to use. For this reason, all card numbers begin with the numbers 602068.

Every time a student's card is lost or replaced, a new card number is issued. This information is then updated in the database.

Although HFS does not use the type of SQL server that was directly affected by the Jan. 25 Slammer virus outbreak, communications were disrupted because of congestion on the backbone.

The main database is run on an HP 9000 Unix-based system.

The data is also backed up to each individual card reader nightly. That way if the main database is down students will still be able to gain access to buildings. Having a copy of the database in each reader also reduces the amount of time needed to determine clearance for each student.

Weidner said that some students might have access to a building only at certain times or through certain doors. Conversely, some personnel, including resident assistants, may have access to several buildings.

He added the only way students have gone around the system thus far is by mechanical means, rather than somehow hacking into the system.

Marianne Lorenson, Atherton Hall's coordinator of residence life, said that students have been propping doors open with rocks, coins, and even broken glass to prevent the latch from closing.

The card reader used in residence halls is the Blackboard SA202. Blackboard Inc. specializes in education technology. Other card readers on campus are made by Sensormatic, an electronics security firm.

The card readers cost $1,500. Depending upon the condition of the door and how much work must be done to install the proper locks, costs including installation can be around $3,000 per reader.

The system took several years to deploy across campus. Food service readers were installed in 1986. In 1989, door access readers were first installed in residence halls. LionCash readers were introduced in 1998.

All card readers on campus were replaced in 1999 because of potential problems from the Y2K bug.

HFS personnel are now looking into using proximity technologies, such as those used in the Mobil Speedpass system, in lieu of the traditional swipe. Students would simply be able to wave their card in front of the reader, Kline said.

Card readers aren't used solely to restrict access to residence halls. Kline said Penn State is also looking into electronically locking and unlocking doors on academic buildings.

Telecommunications and Networking Services has installed readers on all of its equipment closets access to protect its equipment.

Wendy Whitesell, a director at the Bennett Family Center, said card readers are used to give access to parents and staff at the facility.

Computer labs, Beaver Stadium, and the Lasch Football Building also use the technology to increase security.

The new Information Sciences and Technology building, as well as the new Chemistry and Life Sciences buildings, will also employ card access readers.

Although the university has endorsed the card access system, some students aren't quite so sure.

"I think the card readers are a good thought, but people just piggyback if they want to get in," said Chris Miller (junior-electrical engineering).

University officials say piggybacking is just one example of how no technology can work without the support of its users.

"Card readers are only as effective as the people in the buildings," said Conal Carr, assistant director of Housing and Residence Life.

Still, "any university that's building new halls is using card readers now. It's really the way to go," he said.