Localhost
Before explaining to you what is localhost you must know about the server. When you browse a website on the internet, that website’s full data is stored on a server that is connected to the internet full time allowing the user to access it when he wants, and this internet connection is required.
Localhost is related to the server, In the localhost website data is stored on the personal computer and it is accessible by your computer only and in these situations, an internet connection is not required.
Localhost is the loopback address of your computer used to establish a connection to your computer or machine. It is used in networking.
The Localhost IP address is 127.0.0.1, you must see some memes like There is no place like 127.0.0.1 because it’s like home for computer users. According to ipv4 127.0.0.1/8, the complete IP address is reserved for the loopback address only.
Uses of localhost
Application Testing
Localhost is used by developers to test their programs and web applications on their computers. It helps the developer to check whether their program is running perfectly or not. by using this developers also check about any bugs in their application.
If there is any bug seen in the application during testing, it can be fixed before launching applications.
Block website
the computer can use localhost to block websites. In Windows computers, there is local disk C: which contains the system file as the host file. If you save the website name with 127.0.0.1 in the host file and save it.
In that situation when you try to open that website it redirects automatically to localhost. And the website won’t open on your computer.
Network Performance
Network administrators use localhost to check the connection of the system or check the performance issue in the connection.
Learn Hacking attack
Localhost is used to learn ethical hacking. Demo Web application is used to host on localhost and you can practice hacking attacks on it ethically which you can’t perform on a live website without the owner’s permission and there is also a restriction on the type of attack.
Hacking on a website hosted on localhost won’t require any permission and you can do any type of attack you want to do.
Network Services
On computer network service use localhost to run which is useful for you. Network services help in file sharing.