From: "M Tuttle" <miket@...>

>
> [Mike]
> Can anyone tell me what the host file is really used for and exaclty what

I

> should be placing into it?
> DoI need to use it?
>

The hosts file is Windows' way of looking up IP addresses locally without
having to broadcast to the network to find it. It allows you to use an alias
(the server name) instead of an IP address whenever you talk to that server.
There are probably very few places where the server name and IP address are
not interchangeable. IOW, either one can be supplied to do almost anything.
I generally put all servers of the local network in the hosts file just for
lookup speed.

HTH
Woody