I can't connect to internet. Plz help me

[nil ban]

Hello,
I'm a novice linux user currently switched over to freebsd
when many linux users told me that freebsd is real unix
and only slackware is somehow matched with it. So I installed
feeebsd 4.8 but I am getting few problems I can't handle.
Kindly tell me how to do the following ; 
I can't connect to internet. 
Plz let me explain that.
I have a username and password which my isp gave me to 
use for having mail and surfing internet like 
trumvect at myispname.net and my mail servers
names are mail.myisp.com(pop3)and smtp.mail.com.
I tried using kpp and I could connect to my isp ( I am telling this
because pppd does run ) but whenever I try to 
visit a website it doesn't work, browser says unknown host.  
I even tried xchat, it says something like "have u missspelled your host name ?".  I also don't know what  my host name is. Whenever 
I type the command "hostname" in console it displays nothing and only cursor reappears. I installed it as it is describe in the handbook. Only thing I have done is place this entry "firewall_type=open" in rc.conf. I haven't changed anything in any configuration file apart from that. I have written this because it seemed the default firewall has got something to do with it but I ain't sure.  
Please tell me in a step by step procedure so I will be able 
to fix it.. I am gradually being depressed for that. 
Here telephone charge is very costly and for that I can't stay
connected and experiment for long.
 
Please help me.
 
P.S  I also can't send & receive mail using kmail inspite of giving all the
required parameters.



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