The new firewall imposed on residence hall computer networks at University Park isn't stopping some of the most computer-savvy students from finding ways to access the same peer-to-peer file-sharing networks used by Kazaa.

When the university began instituting the firewall in January, students were warned that programs like Kazaa would cease to function under the new system.

"There were the security reasons, but then at the same time, the university was providing Napster as a legal alternative. They were certainly looking at if we can use firewalls to limit peer-to-peer programs that are often used to share files that are illegal," said Joel Weidner, associate director of information systems for the Department of Auxiliary and Business Services.

But a scaled-down version of Kazaa, called Kazaa Lite, seems to be functioning on computers protected by the firewall. "I've noticed that it's not as many [songs as] before, and I think downloading times are a little slower, but it's basically, all in all, the same," Bill Curran (freshman-film and video) said.

Curran uses the program in Packer Hall, one of the first dorms to be upgraded with the firewall.

"We knew that [the firewall] was going to stop some things, but new stuff would come out, and people would find ways around some of these things. There's a limited amount that can be done," Weidner said.

Kazaa Lite is not made by Sharman Networks, makers of the Kazaa Media Desktop software. Sharman threatened to sue distributors of Kazaa Lite because it was allegedly making illegal use of the Kazaa networks. Because of the legal threats against distributors, getting copies of the now-discontinued Kazaa Lite can be difficult. "I got it on a German mirror on some obscure site," Jimmy Moore (freshman-division of undergraduate studies) said.

Curran said he initially hoped the new Napster program would keep him from having to resort to peer-to-peer networks, but the service did not offer the selection he wanted.

"I have a pretty eclectic taste, so I listen to a lot of alternative and indie pop and British pop, and Napster doesn't have a lot of the newer releases from the smaller bands, and if they do, you often have to pay for them," he said.

Weidner said the program communicates differently from the traditional version of Kazaa. "The reason that's allowed is because some of these programs are smart enough to make their traffic ... look very similar to a request to browse a Web page. We couldn't block that because nobody would be able to surf the Web," he said.

Other ways around the firewall include accessing peer-to-peer networks from a computer lab, where firewalls are not in place, said Robin Anderson, assistant director of information technology services.

Although lab computers prevent students from installing applications, some file-sharing programs for the Macintosh platform can be downloaded and run without an installation.

Anderson said students using any on-campus computer are still bound by the AD-20 computer usage policy signed by all students. The policy applies to dorm's networks, lab computers and any other machines owned by the university. "The network ... is university property," she said.

Although students may be able to access files from outside the Penn State network, Weidner said the setup of the firewall should still prevent anyone from sharing files with the outside world.