Summary: If you do not want to wait for DNS propagation of a new url, IP address or web site, you can set up your hosts file to bypass the wait time.
Keywords: 7412, hosts, propagation, dns
Description: a description goes here
Note: This article describes how to set up your hosts file so that you can browse to a web site before the DNS information is propagated through the internet. These instructions are for Windows 2000, XP, and UNIX users. If you have Vista and experience problems editing your hosts file, please go to How do I edit my hosts file in Vista?
For information on your hosts file, please go to How do I use my hosts file?
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The transcript of this video:
Since sub-hosted sites are host-header based, commonly referred to as name based or named hosting, DNS must be correctly configured and fully propogated prior to the site being published to or browsed.
Since IT people hate to wait, lets discuss configuring a hosts file. All modern operating systems have a file called hosts, that tells your computer where to find a site, effectively bypassing DNS. On the Windows operating system, it can be found in C:\windows\system32\drivers\etc\hosts. While in Unix, it is found in /etc.
Locate the file and edit it, using a text editor, like Notepad. Go to the bottom of the file, and add your site's IP, followed by a tab, and then, the sub-hosted site's domain name, followed by a space, and then www. the domain name.
Then save the file. Your web site is ready to be published to, or browsed. Keep in mind that any computers needing to get to this site will have to be configured the same way until DNS is propagated.
And, as a final suggestion, you might wish to remove this entry once DNS has propagated.