{"id":2219,"date":"2021-06-25T11:17:06","date_gmt":"2021-06-25T08:17:06","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.scalahosting.com\/kb\/?p=2219"},"modified":"2022-02-07T16:13:24","modified_gmt":"2022-02-07T14:13:24","slug":"how-to-use-the-hosts-file","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.scalahosting.com\/kb\/how-to-use-the-hosts-file\/","title":{"rendered":"How to Use the “Hosts” File?"},"content":{"rendered":"

The <\/span>domain name system (DNS)<\/b><\/a> is one reason we can browse the internet with ease. It allows people to connect to websites with easy-to-remember domain names instead of their <\/span>IP addresses<\/b>\u2014<\/span>the unique numeric ID assigned to every website.<\/span><\/i><\/p>\n

When you try to <\/span>visit a website<\/b>, your browser looks for the DNS information first in your computer DNS cache. If it finds the information, the browser uses the DNS cache to<\/span> connect the website<\/b>; otherwise, it looks it up on <\/span>DNS servers<\/b><\/a> across the internet.<\/span><\/p>\n

The DNS client cache\u2019s hosts file helps map hostnames to their specific IP addresses. <\/span>What is a hosts file, and how can you use it?<\/span><\/i><\/p>\n

What\u2019s a Host File<\/b><\/h2>\n

A hosts file is a system files that translates <\/span>domain names into IP addresses<\/b>. The local computer and operating system use the hosts file to <\/span>map a connection between IP addresses and domain names. <\/b><\/p>\n

It contains IP addresses and the domains with space in-between, with each entry sitting on a separate line. <\/span>And here\u2019s how the entries look on a host file.<\/b><\/p>\n

216.58.223.228<\/span> google.com<\/span><\/p>\n

000.000.000.000<\/span> thedomain.com<\/span><\/p>\n

You can add the space between the IP address and the domain name using the <\/span>Tab<\/b> key<\/b> on your keyboard. The hosts file also lets users change the<\/span> IP address a domain name resolves to. <\/b><\/p>\n

For instance, you could edit your local host file to test whether a transfer to another host is successful before pointing the domain to the new server.  <\/span>Changes to your host file only apply to your local computer<\/b> without affecting how the domain resolves worldwide. The hosts file is an <\/span>alternative name resolution mechanism<\/b>.<\/span><\/p>\n

The Benefits of Using the Hosts File<\/b><\/h2>\n

The <\/span>hosts file improves users\u2019 browsing experiences by speeding up name resolutions <\/b>and blocking annoying ads. Visiting a website in your hosts file resolves faster than it would if your browser <\/span>looks up the IP address on DNS servers<\/b>. A hosts file resolution can save up to 50 percent of the DNS lookup time, helping improve user experience and seamless browsing.<\/span><\/p>\n

The hosts file also lets you<\/span> block ads, malicious websites, and tracking sites by preventing your computer from connecting to them.<\/b><\/p>\n

You could do this by listing the domain on the hosts file and giving it the <\/span>loopback IP address of 127.0.0.1 for IPv4 network standard or ::1 for IPv6 addressing.<\/span><\/i><\/p>\n

Using the Hosts File for the Various Operating Systems<\/b><\/h2>\n

Let\u2019s quickly examine how to use the hosts file for some of the <\/span>top operating systems in use<\/b>.<\/span><\/p>\n

Windows 8 and 10<\/b><\/h3>\n

Windows is an operating system (OS) from Microsoft<\/b> to run personal computers. Take these steps to use the hosts file on a Windows computer. <\/span>Open the Windows search and type Notepad into the search bar.<\/b><\/p>\n

\"How<\/p>\n

Click the drop-down arrow under <\/span>Open<\/b> to access a drop-down menu, then select <\/span>Run as administrator<\/b>.<\/span><\/p>\n

\"How<\/p>\n

You could also right-click the app to<\/span> run as administrator.<\/b><\/p>\n

To open the hosts file on Notepad, click <\/span>File<\/b>, then choose <\/span>Open<\/b> > <\/span>Windows<\/b> > <\/span>System32<\/b>. Scroll to the <\/span>drivers <\/b>folder and open it.<\/span><\/p>\n

\"How<\/p>\n

In the drivers folder, locate and open <\/span>etc<\/b>, then <\/span>hosts<\/b>.<\/span><\/p>\n

\"How<\/p>\n

In case you didn\u2019t see the hosts file in the etc folder, which often happens if you\u2019re opening the file for the first time, then switch the file type from \u201c<\/span>Text Documents (*.txt<\/b>) to \u201c<\/span>All Files<\/b>.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\"How<\/p>\n

Open the hosts file, add your entries below <\/b>the last entry and save the changes.<\/span><\/p>\n

\"How<\/p>\n

Remember to use the <\/span>Tab key<\/b> to space the IP address and the domain name and the <\/span>Enter key<\/b> to begin a new entry.<\/span><\/p>\n

Click <\/span>Files<\/b> > <\/span>Save<\/b> to apply the changes.<\/span><\/p>\n

Linux<\/b><\/h3>\n

Follow these quick steps to use the hosts file on Linux computers:<\/b><\/p>\n