Is there a similar file to windows\ssytem32\drivers\etc\hosts in OS X

Question

Hi,
I am running a Windows 2003 Server with several websites. I would like to view my websites from my new Imac, however I keep getting prompted for the user name and password for the router.
In windows on my old computer I could edit the file C:\Windows\System32\Drivers\etc\hosts with the IP address and URL of the site and it would open. Is there a similar file in the Mac OS X 10.5.7 software.
Many Thanks in anticipation

Answer 1

{quote:title=Herr Lazaro wrote: > So if /etc/hosts works reliably I'll probably switch to it}{quote}
Adding host records by editing the /etc/hosts file is not entirely reliably. Since Leopard, some people have reported issues of the added host records "mysteriously" disappearing, or Apache not being able to properly resolve the added hosts. The bigger issue is that the modifications in the /etc/hosts file can create unwanted side effects in the normal functioning of services like the mail server and others.
Since Leopard, there has been an alternate way to add host records using the dscl utility. In fact, by many, it is considered the better, more reliable, and safer method.
You can read this recent article to see how its done:
http://tomafro.net/2009/07/dscl-the-easy-way-to-add-hosts-on-osx
There are a number of additional articles on the web about using dscl for adding host records to OS X.
The choice, of course, is yours. If you are using the /etc/hosts file without issue, then it might be safe to continue doing so. But, if your system starts experiencing domain name resolution issues or problems with services such as the mail server, you should consider switching to and using the dslocal database to manage your host records.