laptop's wireless internet?

[Tenshi no Ai]

Asked my techy friend and apparently she doesn't know much about laptops, so I'll ask here^^

Ok, I know laptops have wireless internet, but the way that I've been explained is that when you plug it into the wall it like, leeches off the nearest net source :/ You see, my one friend goes to a college that has a stupid firewall that blocks out not only bad sites, but sites that are concidered "bad" but really aren't (Youtube for example :/) And also, there's a no downloading period policy (and I know other colleges/university are trying to do that too). But you see, I still want to be able to watch new anime if I decide to go to a dorm college this fall^^ Hmmm so when you get a new laptop I assume you contact a net provider and can get whatever net it is? So if that's the case, if YOU are still paying for it instead of the school and stuff, can you still take it there and do basically whatever you want because YOU are paying for the services? Yeah I'm just a tad confused about it all^^

Oh and also, can laptops be networked or something to a regular comp (not like I'd get all my programs and stuff on it though^^ ...Or would I?)

Yeah I'm not too comp smart in some ways^^

[Mr. Rogers]

you have to contact your school about getting an ISP. they would have to install it in your dorm. I have a feeling the school wouldn't go for that. if you wanted to download stuff, you would probably have to go to a starbucks or something.

[Tenshi no Ai]

Hmmm ok I think I get it now. Now that I think about it, I guess you can use the comp anywhere, but to access the net you do sort of need to have it plugged in^^

[frwl]

but then..... that wouldn't be wireless...

[Kaligraphic]

Regular wireless networks of the type you're talking about have a limited area in which you can access them. For free access, there may be, say, a coffee shop around that offers free wifi (wireless network access). Ask around; other students have probably scouted it out before you.

Alternatively, if you have a DVD drive in your laptop, you can watch video DVDs too. If you want to watch televised anime, you can get an external TV tuner that will allow you to watch TV on your laptop.

[Tenshi no Ai]

Regular wireless networks of the type you're talking about have a limited area in which you can access them.

Yeah I was asking another friend and that was basically how she explained it. Too bad it wasn't the way that I pictured it. Meh^^ I DO still have my DVDs.