Maintaining the LMHOSTS File

When you use an LMHOSTS file, be sure to keep it up-to-date and organized. Use the following guidelines:

• Update the LMHOSTS file whenever a computer is changed or removed from the network.

• Because LMHOSTS files are searched one line at a time from the beginning, list remote computers in priority order, with the ones used most often at the top of the file, followed by remote systems listed in #INCLUDE statements.

• Use #PRE statements to preload into the local computer's name cache frequently accessed workstations and servers listed in the #INCLUDE statements. #PRE keyword entries should be entered at the end of the file, because these are preloaded into the cache at system startup time and are not accessed later. This increases the speed of searches for the entries used most often. Because each line is processed individually, any comment lines that you add will increase the parsing time.

• Use the nbtstat command to remove or correct preloaded entries that might have been typed incorrectly or any names cached by successful broadcast resolution. You can reprime the name cache by using the nbtstat -R command to purge and reload the name cache, reread the LMHOSTS file, and then insert entries tagged with the #PRE keyword. For more information about using the nbtstat command, see the Help topic "TCP/IP Procedures Help" or refer to Appendix A, "TCP/IP Utilities Reference."