Windows 7: Hosts File

Injust · 03 Sep 2012

Hey,
I was wondering, is there any internet performance gain if you put a commonly used website's IP (like Google) in your Hosts file, so it doesn't need to ask a DNS server? I mean, because I have 30 websites I go on at least 10 times each day, and it lags when I open all of them

Thanks!

Bare Foot Kid · 03 Sep 2012

Perhaps I'm not understanding your question, the Hosts File blocks web-sites.

Hosts File : Use in Windows 7 / Vista

Injust · 03 Sep 2012

Nope. Many people use the Hosts file to block websites by redirecting them to 127.0.0.1, which redirects to localhost, going nowhere.
When the browser contacts a DNS server to find the IP, I'm using the Hosts file to remove that action. Google's IP is 173.194.75.94. I can enter "google.ca 173.194.75.94" in the Hosts file, and my browser won't need to contact a DNS server to fetch the IP, thus speeding up the loading process.

However, this is just an assumption. I need this to be verified.
Also, I know that there is the risk of a website's IP being changed

But thanks for helping.

Injust · 03 Sep 2012

See, Wikipedia says that Hosts files are used to "map hostnames to IP addresses". It can be used to map any website to a non-functioning IP address, in this case 127.0.0.0, but it can also be used to map the proper address

Bare Foot Kid · 03 Sep 2012

Helping is my pleasure mate, I learn that way too.

I'm not sure if using the Hosts File that way would work for what you want or not, though one thing I know is some sites have sever IP and that may cause issues and make it more trouble than it's worth.

Injust · 03 Sep 2012

Yeah...that's slightly problematic...

rraod · 03 Sep 2012

Instead of tinkering with hosts file, save the frequently used websites in to bookmarks in your browser and change the url to it's IP address in the bookmark properties. But I don't think you're going to save a lot of time in opening the websites.

You would be better off requesting your ISP for another DNS server's addresses.

logicearth · 03 Sep 2012

Windows already caches DNS records when you use them. So no adding them to the hosts file will not help any.
Open a Command Prompt and type "ipconfig /displaydns" that will show you all the entries that are cached.

lehnerus2000 · 03 Sep 2012

Quote: Originally Posted by Injust

Hey,
I was wondering, is there any internet performance gain if you put a commonly used website's IP (like Google) in your Hosts file, so it doesn't need to ask a DNS server? I mean, because I have 30 websites I go on at least 10 times each day, and it lags when I open all of them

You can put any sites you want in your Hosts file, but I'm not sure how much performance benefit there would be.

Quote: Originally Posted by Bare Foot Kid

Perhaps I'm not understanding your question, the Hosts File blocks web-sites.

IIRC, before DNS servers you had to put sites in your Hosts file (for name resolution).

You can use it to:

Replace a DNS request
Block a website.

The entries don't even have to be "real" sites.

In my networking course, we had to add a "fake" site the Hosts file, because the TAFE campus doesn't allow students to modify their DNS server.
The "fake" site was a dummy website that we had created on a virtual server.

Quote: Originally Posted by logicearth

Windows already caches DNS records when you use them. So no adding them to the hosts file will not help any.
Open a Command Prompt and type "ipconfig /displaydns" that will show you all the entries that are cached.

It would stop the first DNS request being sent though (i.e. they won't be forgotten when you shutdown).

Injust · 04 Sep 2012

Quote: Originally Posted by logicearth

Windows already caches DNS records when you use them. So no adding them to the hosts file will not help any.
Open a Command Prompt and type "ipconfig /displaydns" that will show you all the entries that are cached.

BTW, when I enter ipconfig /displaydns in CMD, this comes up :P

Windows 7: Hosts File

Hosts File problems?