TheInternet feature we use today is much easier to use and the technology used are pretty easy to use as all the intricate and difficult aspects of networking are covered by the operating system or the web browser that we use. The internet is a vast and infinitely intertwined platform, using which needs lots of parameters to be checked. There are several governing factors that make up the internet and the websites that are hosted on the internet, trying to understand them can be very difficult and only professionals and technicians can properly avail of the features.
This article will broadly cover everything you need to know about the host file before jumping into the configuration of the host file. With all the information, you can easily comprehend the features and can efficiently use the host file.
Editing the host file on Windows was used more often previously by developers to test out their newly designed websites before actually hosting them on a server. The host file resides in all the major computer OSes like Windows, macOS and Linux to provide the users with the liberty to edit the file using a simple text editor. You can use the host file and edit it to locally host the website and test out the looks and feel of the website. The host file can come in handy and can help you view the IP address of the website.
The host file stores the IP address of the website and acts as a directory, this helps in locating a particular website sooner and much easier. The host file was most used before the introduction of DNS as the IP address was prominently used to locate a website and remembering all the IP addresses posed difficulty and a centralized file with a directory of all or most of the website IP addresses was created and that is the host file. Nowadays the host file is mostly idle and has no real application except for website testing and other few purposes.
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The host file comprises the IP address of the website, the name used to host the website( www.isoriver.com. And the comment can be used to specify anything related to the website.
Use of The Host File
- Localized web hosting.
- Pirating softwares.
- Used to block online advertisements.
What happens when you edit host files on your Windows 10 computer
As mentioned the host file is a directory for IP address and domain name and editing the detail will allow you to host your website in an isolated environment and the rest of the world cant access what you can access. The host file is pretty useful for website testing and can be used for testing the website before actually hosting it on an actual server. This host file is mostly used by developers when the website is transferred from one hosting server to the other. With only just the new IP address and the domain name, you can test the website locally and check for malfunctions.
In this article, you will be able to find the method to edit the host file to locally host a website and test it. The method is pretty simple and can be done without much of a hassle. You just need to locate the host file and make the necessary edits to the file.
Here is How You Can Configure The Host File on Windows 10 Computer
Follow the steps mentioned below to configure the host file on Windows 10 computer.
- Open up the notepad as administrator by searching for the notepad app and right-click on the app and select Run as administrator, or look for the notepad application from the start menu and open with run as administrator.
- Once the application opens up, you need to select the file option and click on the open option, a explorer window will open, where you need to enter the path “C:\Windows\System32\drivers\etc\” to go to the host file location. In the etc folder, you will find a file called host, click to open the file.
- Now you will see an example of the format. You need to follow the same format and input the values accordingly.
- First, you need to type in the IP address of the website, next with one space gap, you need to type in the domain address of the website, and last, you can input a suitable comment with “#” in front of the comment. This is the format that you need to follow when you edit the host file.
- You can test any number of websites with this method. As mentioned the process is very simple.
- Once you have configured the file you will have to save it to make it functional.
The host file can have a pretty neat application and can be easily used by anyone as the file can be found on most of the major computer OSes. with the file developers and new website, builders can test out their websites before hosting.
There is some third-party host file manipulator which you can download and configure the host file indirectly. You can also block some websites using the third-party host file editor and access all the other website very well.
Hope the information provided above was helpful and informative. You can follow the steps mentioned above to edit the host file on your Windows 10 computer and test out your website without struggle. The file works precisely and can be used any number of times. Make sure that you remove the contents that you have feed in the host file after your testing is done.
