How to test localhost:PORT website by amending the hosts file

When developing a website, it is common to test it locally on your computer before making it live. To do this, you can set up a localhost server on your machine and access the website through a specific port. In this article, we will guide you on how to test a localhost:PORT website by amending the hosts file.

What is the hosts file?

The hosts file is a plain text file on your computer that maps hostnames to IP addresses. It is used by the operating system to resolve domain names to specific IP addresses before querying a DNS server. By modifying the hosts file, you can override the default DNS settings and redirect a domain name to a specific IP address.

Why amend the hosts file?

When testing a website locally, you typically access it through the localhost address (127.0.0.1) followed by a specific port number. However, if you want to use a custom domain name for testing purposes, you can amend the hosts file to redirect that domain name to the localhost address and port.

Steps to test localhost:PORT website using the hosts file:

1. Open a text editor with administrative privileges. For example, you can use Notepad or Notepad++.
2. Go to C:\Windows\System32\drivers\etc folder.
3. Locate the file named hosts and open it.
4. At the end of the file, add a new line with the following format:
   127.0.0.1 yourdomain.com
   Replace yourdomain.com with the domain name you want to use for testing.
5. Save the file and close the text editor.
6. Now, open your web browser and type http://yourdomain.com:PORT in the address bar. Replace yourdomain.com with the domain name you specified in the hosts file, and PORT with the port number your localhost server is running on.
7. If everything is set up correctly, you should now see your website running locally.

Important notes:

• Make sure to run the text editor with administrative privileges to be able to save changes to the hosts file.
• The changes made in the hosts file are local to your computer and will not affect other devices on the network.
• After testing your website, remember to remove the line you added to the hosts file to avoid any conflicts with the live website.

Conclusion

Amending the hosts file is a simple and effective way to test a localhost:PORT website using a custom domain name. By following the steps outlined in this article, you can easily redirect a domain name to your local machine and access your website for testing purposes.

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