Students may enjoy wireless Internet in several dorm buildings as early as next fall, an information technology manager said.

Housing and Food Services is investigating potential wireless lounges in McKee, Beaver, Runkle, Holmes, Leete and Simmons halls.

"We are developing cost estimates right now, and we will hopefully move ahead and install wireless in the near future, but it is all pending cost," said Joel Weidner, Housing and Food Services information technology manager.

Weidner did not specify the costs of the proposed projects.

The buildings being considered for wireless Internet were chosen because they house Special Living Options, such as the Discover House in Beaver Hall, Weidner said.

Robin Anderson, Information Technology Services (ITS) spokeswoman, said Housing and Food Services determines which residence areas receive wireless and then submits the request to ITS.

Toward the end of last semester, Waring Commons and Redifer Commons became the first commons with wireless capability.

Redifer Commons was chosen to receive wireless access because of recent renovations, said Chad Henning, Housing and Food Services manager of facilities.

"Redifer became wireless due to the size of the commons itself and because of its ability to handle the connection," Henning said. "Its brand new wiring made things a little easier."

Waring Commons was selected because it caters to more diverse parts of the Penn State community.

"More grad students are in that area since it's close to White Course Apartments," Weidner said. "It's servicing a different population than the South Commons, which is more undergraduate students."

Weidner said Housing and Food Services needs to put a long-range plan in place for wireless connections.

"Housing is definitely committed to moving ahead in the process, but what we need to do is look at all of the facilities and come up with a plan -- a phased approach," Weidner said. "And I think we are moving in that direction."

Henning said the university realizes that wireless capability is an important service for students.

"Wireless is a demand feature," he said. "Students want additional places to study, and we need to provide them with that."

David Kraus (junior-finance) said widespread wireless capability is a good idea, but when he tried accessing the Internet on his laptop in Redifer, he was unsuccessful.

Kraus did not realize students must first install a Virtual Private Network (VPN) client, which is an authentication tool needed to access the wireless network anywhere on campus.

Weidner said VPN, part of Penn State's Standard Wireless Solution, ensures the security of wireless connections.

"There's sensitive information out there, whether it be e-mail, applications students are using, or Angel [course management system] and eLion," he said. "VPN makes it a secure, wireless connection, unlike the connections anyone can access at, say, Starbucks."

Henning said security concerns are not as prevalent as they were a few years ago.

"Originally, security was a big issue, but now that wireless is becoming more commonplace, it's a bit easier," he said.

After downloading VPN at http://downloads.its.psu.edu, members of the Penn State community can use their access accounts to log onto the wireless network.

Additional wireless locations on campus include the HUB-Robeson Center, Pattee Library and Paterno Library.