Working on the HOST file in the system

Why host file is needed?

It is a simple text file without a file extension that is used to map(or navigate) or override IP addresses for before accessing a DNS(Domain Name server).

It convert the domain name into the Ip address.
For example when we are clicking the https://www.facebook.com/  a DNS ,the popular site in the world the host file mainly convert the DNS into some IP address .

There is a range of IP addresses used by Facebook.

69.63.184.142   
69.63.187.17
69.63.187.19
69.63.181.11
69.63.181.12 etc etc. or

if you want to see in which ip address your site (DNS ) is working on ,Then follow the steps.

1. Open you command prompt by type cmd in  the search bar.
 2. Write Ping www.facebook.com on the command line interface and it will display the ipaddress where facebook is working on and same for all the DNS's.



If you are not going to set the host file properly you may find difficulties to open certain sites .

You can also define the HOST FILE is works like a director or an instructor to a particular address in the web.

As i said these files are mainly used for the confidential purpose and doesn't need to be edited when we are going to access the normal network and Internet applications.

Questions arise why need we do or set the host file?

 It simply if we don't want to bore from the unnecessary stuffs from the internet then no need to do any changes but if you are got frustrated with the adv. of the sites then you have think twice.

1. It prevent to access the undesirable web servers.

2. Best to remember the site name and easy to use. for example the DBA people have to remember so many sites and server name which are not an easy task .And they are using this filemorethen others as compared.

 In windows the host file is simple the text file which can be edited by the notepad and normally located in the directory /etc.

The full path of the host file in WINDOW's machine.

C:\Windows\System32\drivers\etc





Other then windows all other OS like MAC and LINUX all have the same location for host file .Might be some time the naming convention different. Don't worry for the hosts-copy.(I have created it for my convenience)

How to edit the host file .....Here is how?

1.  Go to the above location.who are using the Windows and same for all other os users i guess.

2. As you can see the host file without any extension but its a text file(not to worry) .

3. Double click on the file and opened in the notepad and edit the file and you are done .

Example : As you can see i have only one ip address and its DNS i.e my local host


And i want to enter the messging.abcd.com into this host file for connecting to my communicator (before i found difficult toconnect it)  by applying the above steps that i mentioned and after editing the host file (below ) i am now able to connect to my communicator.



So , it's up to you what type of server and network site's IP address you want to store in the host file but always thinks the safer side.