Hosts file/View

The hosts file is a plain text file used to map host names to IP addresses. On Windows, it is located in the C:\Windows\System32\drivers\etc folder. This activity will show you how to view the hosts file.

Preparation
To prepare for this activity:
 * 1) Start Windows.
 * 2) Log in if necessary.

View the hosts File
To view the hosts file:
 * 1) Open the Start menu.
 * 2) Select All Programs.
 * 3) Select Accessories.
 * 4) Select Notepad.
 * 5) In Notepad, select File then Open.
 * 6) Navigate to C:\Windows\System32\drivers\etc.
 * 7) Change the file type to open from Text Documents (*.txt) to All Files (*.*).
 * 8) Open the hosts file.
 * 9) Read the comments in the host file.  The comments begin with a # character.
 * 10) Observe the host records stored in the file.  At a minimum you should find a record for 127.0.0.1 localhost.
 * 11) Close Notepad.  Do not save any changes.

Readings

 * Wikipedia: hosts file
 * Wikipedia: Internet Protocol
 * Wikipedia: Domain Name System