Troubleshooting TCP/IP Database Files

The following table lists the UNIX-style database files that are stored in the \systemroot\System32\Drivers\Etc directory when you install Microsoft TCP/IP:

Table 12.2 UNIX-style Database Files

File name	Use
HOSTS	Provides host name-to-IP-address resolution for Windows Sockets applications
LMHOSTS	Provides NetBIOS name-to-IP-address resolution for Windows-based networking
Networks	Provides network name-to-network ID resolution for TCP/IP management
Protocols	Provides protocol name-to-protocol ID resolution for Windows Sockets applications
Services	Provides service name-to-port ID resolution for Windows Sockets applications

To troubleshoot any of these files on a local computer:

Make sure the format of entries in each file matches the format defined in the sample file originally installed with Microsoft TCP/IP.
Check for spelling or capitalization errors.
Check for invalid IP addresses and identifiers.