hosts : Java Glossary

Purpose

A file used in Windows to provide shortcuts for DNS (Domain Name Service) to IP (Internet Protocol) lookup.

• In Windows W95, W98 and Me, your hosts. file lives in C:\Windows\hosts.
• In Windows NT and W2K, your hosts. file lives in C:\WINNT\system32\drivers\etc\hosts.
• In XP, W2003, Vista, W2008, W7-32, W7-64, W8-32, W8-64, W2012, W10-32 and W10-64, your hosts. file lives in C:\Windows\system32\drivers\etc\hosts.

The hosts. file needs to contain at least one entry: 127.0.0.1 localhost to let you access server apps on the local machine. You can maintain the file with a text editor, or for more automated error-free maintenance use QuickDNS.

There are two reason to put an entry into the hosts. file.

1. Because the name is not known to the DNS lookup system. It is a local name, or an IP without an official domain name.
   127.0.0.1 localhost
   192.168.2.1 router
2. For speed. Hosts. lookup is faster than asking a DNS server on the net, e.g.
   65.110.21.43 mindprod.com
   The problem is, if the IP changes, the hosts file will not be automatically updated. You have manually update it with a text editor or semi-automatically update it with a hosts file manager.

Hosts Managers

Surprisingly, you don’t have to reboot after changing the hosts. file in order to have the changes make effect.

Hosts. File Format

Here is what a typical hosts. file looks like that overrides DNS lookup for a selected set of commonly used domains.

• In Windows W95, W98 and Me, your hosts. file lives in C:\Windows\hosts.
• In Windows NT and W2K, your hosts. file lives in C:\WINNT\system32\drivers\etc\hosts.
• In XP, W2003, Vista, W2008, W7-32, W7-64, W8-32, W8-64, W2012, W10-32 and W10-64, your hosts. file lives in C:\Windows\system32\drivers\etc\hosts.