FreeBSD 要如何存取網際網路網域名稱系統 (Internet Domain Name System, DNS) 是由 resolv.conf(5) 來控制。

/etc/resolv.conf 中最常用的項目為：

典型的 /etc/resolv.conf 會如下：

search example.com
nameserver 147.11.1.11
nameserver 147.11.100.30

當使用 DHCP 時，dhclient(8) 通常會使用從 DHCP 伺服器所接收到的資訊覆寫 /etc/resolv.conf。

/etc/hosts 是簡單的文字資料庫，會與 DNS 及 NIS 一併使用來提供主機名稱與 IP 位址的對應。可將透過 LAN 所連結的在地電腦項目加入到這個檔案做最簡單的命名，來替代設定一個 named(8) 伺服器。除此之外 /etc/hosts 可以用來提供本地的網際網路名稱記錄，來減少常用名稱向外部 DNS 伺服器查詢的需求。

# $FreeBSD$
#
#
# Host Database
#
# This file should contain the addresses and aliases for local hosts that
# share this file.  Replace 'my.domain' below with the domainname of your
# machine.
#
# In the presence of the domain name service or NIS, this file may
# not be consulted at all; see /etc/nsswitch.conf for the resolution order.
#
#
::1			localhost localhost.my.domain
127.0.0.1		localhost localhost.my.domain
#
# Imaginary network.
#10.0.0.2		myname.my.domain myname
#10.0.0.3		myfriend.my.domain myfriend
#
# According to RFC 1918, you can use the following IP networks for
# private nets which will never be connected to the Internet:
#
#	10.0.0.0	-   10.255.255.255
#	172.16.0.0	-   172.31.255.255
#	192.168.0.0	-   192.168.255.255
#
# In case you want to be able to connect to the Internet, you need
# real official assigned numbers.  Do not try to invent your own network
# numbers but instead get one from your network provider (if any) or
# from your regional registry (ARIN, APNIC, LACNIC, RIPE NCC, or AfriNIC.)
#

/etc/hosts 的格式如下：

[Internet address] [official hostname] [alias1] [alias2] ...

例如：

10.0.0.1 myRealHostname.example.com myRealHostname foobar1 foobar2

請參考 hosts(5) 取得更多資訊。