If DNS is not configured on your network, you can configure Cisco TCP/IP Suite host tables to resolve names. Like DNS, host tables also map host names to IP addresses, but, unlike DNS, the information is stored on your computer and must be updated manually. Using host tables, you must ensure that every host name you specify while running TCP/IP applications has an equivalent IP address. Whenever a change occurs on the network, such as when a new computer is added that you need to access, you must add the information to the host table.
When you add or modify a host table entry, you can specify:
If you are using DNS, you may also want to use host tables. This is useful for temporary situations, such as when a new computer is added to the network, but has not been added to DNS.
The advantage of using DNS and host tables for name resolution is that your workstation can access other systems even if the DNS server is not running or if the network is down. If you maintain entries in the hosts table for your local network, you can continue communicating with local systems until the DNS server or network is restored.
Depending on how you use DNS and host tables, you can specify whether you want DNS or host tables to be accessed first.
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