Question about networking

I found out earlier today that the internet at work (a hospital) will work with any computer. My question is, what can the IT department know from me browsing the web?

From my understanding, the way the computer is identified comes from settings on the computer, not from a certain cable going to a certain room. If thats true, it wouldn't matter if I used my laptop in that room or in the public computer access area right? In other words, can they figure out my location?

If they can identify by which cable goes to which area, then it would look like someone is on the computer at the desktop correct?

By now I know you think I'm trying to hack my work and give myself a 400% raise, but I'm not . My bosses are anal about stuff that goes on with the computers, mainly because they don't have a clue about them and probably think that I can go into the system and start ordering enemas for every patient in the hospital or something. I'm doing this so I can do my lab reports at work, which require a bit of web research.

They can easily track you by your MAC address and computer name.

In other words, it's not difficult by any stretch of the imagination to monitor exactly what you do with your PC, no matter where you are on the network.

Obey the AUP and you will be fine.

Yes they can identify where you are unless they are retarded

lets see... they definitely have a layout of where each walljack is which is identified on their patch panels which leads to a switch that records a MAC address (minimum) so if they see something shady going on with your IP they pull your MAC which links to the switch port which leads to a patch panel that has a number on it which correlates to a walljack in some room and you're busted. There are other ways but that is the most rudimentary that just about every network allows for.

And no, they would also know it's not the desktop that they put in place but some other machine plugged into that walljack which could be easily confirmed by seeing that this desktop machine is currently disconnected from the network (assuming you unplug it and plug your laptop in instead).

you know why they want you in the public computer access area? probably because it's separated from the main network, I'm sure it's also monitored more and in general you are breaking few of their rules by introducing a foreign machine to what's their internal network. Just don't do it.

not to mention you really shouldn't be asking this here.