How to edit your Mac`s Hosts file
(iMore iPhone)

You can tell your Mac to use a Host File instead of your DNS to go online. Here`s how! If you`re setting up a new web server or another device that`s going to be connected to the internet and you want to put it through its paces before it`s live, or if you`re having trouble with spyware and adware networks, there`s an invisible file on your Mac that can help. It`s called the Hosts file, and this is how to use it. The Domain Name System When you type in the domain name of a web site you want to visit there`s a lot happening behind the scenes. Every web site, every service, almost every device connected to the Internet has a unique numeric address that tells all the other devices where it is — its TCP/IP address. The Domain Name System (DNS) translates those numeric addresses into something a bit more recognizable and memorable to humans, like, `www.imore.com` for example. The first time you type in a web address, your Mac pings a DNS server — typically one au...