What are Host Files?

Most American adults know how to use the internet, even if they do not use it regularly. However, many people are not computer savvy enough to understand all of the internet jargon that computer programmers and web designers use regularly. "Host file" is one such term that is frequently poorly understood.

A host file tells your computer the location of a website. In that way, it acts in a similar way as an address book. When you type in the URL of a website, your computer will check the host file for the site's IP address. If you do not have the IP address on file, the computer will find it through your internet service provider and open the file, or website.

Host files are not the same type of files that you would typically store on DVD R media or Blu Ray media. Their sole purpose is to contain IP addresses of websites. You can use host files to store the IP addresses of sites you like, or to block sites that contain objectionable content.

You can find the location of the host file on your computer if you know where to look. For example, Windows users can find the host file on their computer by opening Notepad and typing in: C/Windows/System32/drivers/etc/hosts. The address is different for Linux or Mac users. Once you have located the host file, you can open it and edit it. For example, you can type in directions to redirect anyone using your computer from the site in the host file to a different website.

Back to Blog