Localhost, also known as the localhost or the loopback address, is an IP address that is used to access a computer on a local network. It is commonly used in computer networking and in web development.
Localhost is a hostname that corresponds to the loopback Internet Protocol (IP) address 127.0.0.1, which is set to be the localhost address. It is sometimes confused with a computer’s IP address. The localhost IP address however, always points back to the local computer.
In web development, localhost is used to set up a web server on a computer or as a testing environment for web applications. On a single computer, localhost allows multiple websites to be created and run without conflicting each other due to the use of different ports.
Localhost can also be used for remote login. With this process, a computer user can access another computer, often over the Internet, using its localhost address.
In addition, localhost is commonly used in computer networking to refer to a computer that acts as a server on the same local network as another computer.
In many web browsers, the URL localhost is automatically entered in the address bar when browsing locally. This allows users to quickly access their own page or website without needing to enter a URL.
Localhost is an essential term for developers, networking professionals, and computer users, and understanding its use can be essential to successful communication over a network.
