Almost one in three undergraduates now has a direct link to the Internet, Harvard Arts and Science Computer Services (HASCS) announced this week.

HASCS officials said the number of students with link-ups from their dorm rooms has surpassed 2000. Another 1000 computers of professors and administrators are connected to the Internet, a global data communication network.

The 2000 student link-ups represent a significant increase from the 800 students that were connected to the network from their dorm rooms as of June.

The figure is even more impressive, HASCS officials said, because nearly all of those 800 students had to be re-connected when they changed rooms for this academic year.

"It's a plant growing at an incredible rate," said William J. Ouchark, manager of networking services.

First-years have led the boom. Of the 2000 connections, 48 percent are in first-year dorms. Sophomores represent 28 percent, juniors 18 percent and seniors 10 percent of the total.

Harvard began connecting students directly in 1993. The original plan to begin networking was created in the summer of 1992, and wiring began after that.

HASCS officials said they were inundated with requests for connections at the beginning of this year. At the peak of the requests, during early October, Harvard was hooking up more than 100 students per day.

"First, it's interesting and significant that so many people are in the network," said Dean Paul C. Martin '52, dean of the Division of Applied Sciences. "And secondly, I think it is an achievement that the network group has been able to hook up so many students in such a short time."

Network services is now entering the fifth phase of a plan to bring the entire Faculty of Arts and Sciences on-line. This stage consists of connecting academic buildings as well as many of the athletic facilities, including Weld Boathouse and the Bright Hockey Center. Eventually, University plans call for the establishment of a connection to the distant Harvard Forest.

"The large number of connections show that Harvard is no longer a non-technology oriented institution," said Jeffrey C. Tarr '96, co-president of Digitas, a student organization dedicated to new technology. "I expect that the number of network connections next year will more than double the present number."

Next year's Class of 1999 is expected to use the network in even larger numbers. Ouchark said he believes the number of network connections will exceed 3000 next year.

"Next year's freshmen should have the same number or more than this year's freshmen," said Eugene E. Kim '96, president of the Harvard Computer Society. "In two years the number of students connected will be much higher than half. I'd venture that 75 percent to 80 percent of the student body will have network computers in two years."

Kim also noted the exponential rise in e-mail volume over the past year.

"Last year's seniors had only a relatively small percentage with e-mail accounts," Kim said. "This year's freshmen, over 90 percent, close to 100 percent have e-mail accounts. We'll see a similar trend with network computers."

Being connected has become part of everyday life, students said.

"A year ago, when there was the issue over hanging signs on Holworthy, Dean [Archie C. Epps III] suggested that students do posting electronically, which didn't seem feasible to many student groups," Kim said. "Today, lots of groups communicate though electronic bulletin boards and e-mails.