View your Website before DNS Propagation

If you have recently bought a New Domain and Web Hosting or you have switched your Web Hosting, than you will have to wait for some Hours before you can actually view your Website over the World Wide Web.

This happens because DNS (Domain Name System) Propagation is going on with every ISP (Internet Service Provider) located around the World. People residing at some specific location or using some specific ISP will be able to view your Website much earlier than others. In this Post we’ll see How to view your own Website before actual DNS Propagation?

Please Note that DNS Propagation depends on the following 2 Main Factors:

• Location
• ISP (Internet Service Provider)

Based on the above 2 Main Factors, it may take 24 Hours to 72 Hours for the DNS Propagation to get completely resolved throughout the World.

How to View your own Website much before the Actual DNS Propagation?:

In order to View your Website before the actual DNS Propagation, you will need your Web Server IP Address.

Web Server IP Address is generally provided you in the Email which you get after Signing up with your Web Hosting Provider.

If you have any sort of problem in finding your Web Server IP Address, it’s recommended that you contact your Web Hosting Service Provider and ask them to provide you your Website IP Address.

Now you have to Temporarily Alter your Windows Hosts File. Following lines gives you details where the Hosts File resides in Windows Operating System:

For Windows 95 / 98 / ME:

Windows Hosts File in Windows 95 / Windows 98 / Windows ME is located at: c:\windows\hosts - Here considering C: is your Primary Operating System Partition.

For Windows NT/2000:

Windows Hosts File in Windows NT & Windows 2000 is located at: c:\winnt\system32\drivers\etc\hosts – Here considering C: is your Primary Operating System Partition.

For Windows XP (Both Home & Pro)

Windows Hosts File in Windows XP (Home & Pro Edition) is located at: c:\windows\system32\drivers\etc\hosts – Here considering C: is your Primary Operating System Partition.

For Windows Vista (Home Basic / Home Premium / Business / Ultimate)

Windows Hosts file in Windows Vista (All Editions) is located at: c:\windows\system32\drivers\etc\hosts – Here considering C: is your Primary Operating System Partition.

Altering your Windows Hosts File:

For Windows 95 / 98 / ME / NT / 2000 / XP (Both Home & Pro):

• Depending on What Operating System you are using, Copy the Address of Windows Hosts File as stated above
• Now Open Notepad (Start >> All Programs >> Accessories >> Notepad or Start>> Run >> Type Notepad)
• Click File Menu and Select Open… (CTRL + O) and Paste the Location of Windows Hosts File you copied earlier and Press Open Button:

• Now you will see something like following at the end of Windows Hosts File:

• Now just after the End Line of Windows Hosts File, Enter Your Web Server IP Address >> Hit Tab Button Once >> Enter your Domain Name ( and Sub-Domains; if you wish) each separated by Space:

• Save Windows Hosts File from File Menu. Now Exit Notepad and all Browser. If possible, clear Browser Cache.

For Windows Vista (Home Basic / Home Premium / Business / Ultimate):

All the above steps remains same. Whenever you get a UAC Prompt click Continue or if you get an Error while modifying Windows Hosts File read THIS Article from Microsoft

Now Open your Browser and Check out your Website. You’ll be getting it from the Web Server whose IP Address you entered!

Important:

• For Mac OS X and other Operating System, you can contact your Web Hosting Provider for necessary details.
• As soon as DNS has been resolved for your Location/ISP, Undo All Changes which you have done to your Windows Hosts File.
• Some Security Softwares may not allow you to change/alter Windows Hosts File. So either Follow their prompts or temporarily disable them.
• This Works only on those Computers on which Windows Hosts File has been modified with Proper Web Server IP Address

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