Localhost
In computer networking, localhost is a hostname that means this computer or this host.
In other words: the client and the server (host) are running on the same computer.
Description
It may be used to access the network services that are running on the host via its loopback network interface.
Using the loopback interface bypasses and does not require any local network interface hardware.
The local loopback mechanism may be useful for testing software during development, independently of any networking configurations.
For example, if a computer has been configured to provide a website, directing a locally running web browser to http://localhost may display its home page.
On most computer systems, localhost resolves to the IP address 127.0.0.1, which is the most commonly used IPv4 loopback address, and to the IPv6 loopback address ::1.
The name localhost is also a reserved top-level domain name (cf. .localhost), set aside to avoid confusion with the definition as a hostname.
The IETF standards restrict domain name registrars from assigning the name localhost in registration procedures, such as for second-level domains.
See also
External links
- localhost @ Wikipedia
