Browse a website with hosts file

During server migration or transfer, you might want to test your websites in new server to ensure everything working properly before update your domain's name servers. To do that, please follow these steps:

1. Edit hosts file "C:\Windows\System32\drivers\etc\hosts" in your PC.

2. Add following 2 lines to last line of the hosts file:

NEW_WEBSITE_IP    yourdomain.com
NEW_WEBSITE_IP    www.yourdomain.com

*Replace NEW_WEBSITE_IP to website IP in new server, and yourdomain.com to your actual domain name.

3. Save it and then browse http://www.yourdomain.com or http://yourdomain.com in web browser, you should now see contents hosted in new server.

If your web browser still show you contents in old server, please clear your web browser cache or restart your PC. Remember to remove the added lines after complete your test.

  • 118 Users Found This Useful
Was this answer helpful?

Related Articles

SolidCP & MSPControl: Change PHP Version

You can assign specific PHP version for your website, or change it to fulfill your script...

cPanel: Change PHP Version via MultiPHP Manager

You can assign specific PHP version for your website, or change it to a newer PHP version to...

cPanel: Change PHP Version via Select PHP Version

With Select PHP Version (also known as PHP Selector), you can change PHP version and enable...

PHP Fatal error: Cannot redeclare quoted_printable_encode()

When encounter the following PHP error:PHP Fatal error:  Cannot redeclare...

SolidCP & MSPControl: Changing web extensions

Please follow the steps below to change your website extension.1. Log in to your hosting control...