Will there be a performance hit if the HOSTS file passes a certain size
or number of entries? I use Spybot Search & Destroy's Immunize feature,
which maps bad-guy sites and domains to localhost in HOSTS, and I see
that it's up to well over 8000 lines in addition to the entries I've
put there myself.

I don't notice any slowdown... yet.

Yes, but at what number is hard to say. Having a Hosts file parsed before
using the DNS service adds some time to resolve a URL But how that
time varies from using the DNS service is a value I'm not aware of. I use
a few entries in my Hosts but mainly just to speed up email and a few sites
I visit very often. Some people use an alternate DNS resolver service from
OpenDNS which internally has many ad sites blocked.

"Nil" <rednoise+(E-Mail Removed)> wrote in message
news:Xns9A5F9FCD4A4C7nilch1@216.196.97.136...
> Will there be a performance hit if the HOSTS file passes a certain size
> or number of entries? I use Spybot Search & Destroy's Immunize feature,
> which maps bad-guy sites and domains to localhost in HOSTS, and I see
> that it's up to well over 8000 lines in addition to the entries I've
> put there myself.
>
> I don't notice any slowdown... yet.

It /could/ have an affect on performance, yes. See
http://www.mvps.org/winhelp2002/hosts.htm#Note
--
~Robear Dyer (PA Bear)
MS MVP-IE, Mail, Security, Windows Desktop Experience - since 2002
AumHa VSOP & Admin http://aumha.net
DTS-L http://dts-l.net/

Nil wrote:
> Will there be a performance hit if the HOSTS file passes a certain size
> or number of entries? I use Spybot Search & Destroy's Immunize feature,
> which maps bad-guy sites and domains to localhost in HOSTS, and I see
> that it's up to well over 8000 lines in addition to the entries I've
> put there myself.
>
> I don't notice any slowdown... yet.

On 12 Mar 2008, "PA Bear [MS MVP]" <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote in
microsoft.public.windowsxp.general:

> It /could/ have an affect on performance, yes. See
> http://www.mvps.org/winhelp2002/hosts.htm#Note

OK. It says that it can slow things down if it grows over 135kb. Mine
is now 228 kb. I have notices a few times lately where I wouldn't
connect to a site with my browser, and then after a refresh I would get
it. Maybe it's a time-out due to a too-large file. Next time I see that
happening I'll put in a clean HOSTS and see if it helps.

Thank you.

On 12 Mar 2008, "R. McCarty" <PcEngWork-NoSpam_@mindspring.com>
wrote in microsoft.public.windowsxp.general:

> Some people use an alternate DNS resolver service from OpenDNS
> which internally has many ad sites blocked.

I'll check into that - it sounds like it might be good alternative
to an ever-expanding HOSTS.

Nil <rednoise+(E-Mail Removed)> wrote:

>OK. It says that it can slow things down if it grows over 135kb. Mine
>is now 228 kb.

mine is 1KB... and I don't have any problems.

On 12 Mar 2008, PD43 <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote in
microsoft.public.windowsxp.general:

> Nil <rednoise+(E-Mail Removed)> wrote:
>
>>OK. It says that it can slow things down if it grows over 135kb.
>>Mine is now 228 kb.
>
> mine is 1KB... and I don't have any problems.

Is that what you really mean? That's barely over the size of the
default HOSTS, which shouldn't create any problems at all.

If you really mean MB, I'll feel much better about mine!

Nil <rednoise+(E-Mail Removed)> wrote:

>> mine is 1KB... and I don't have any problems.
>
>Is that what you really mean? That's barely over the size of the
>default HOSTS, which shouldn't create any problems at all.
>
>If you really mean MB, I'll feel much better about mine!

SORRY... it's 1kb

On 12 Mar 2008, PD43 <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote in
microsoft.public.windowsxp.general:

> SORRY... it's 1kb

Damn. Now I feel bad again.

On Wed, 12 Mar 2008 15:43:49 -0500, Nil
<rednoise+(E-Mail Removed)> wrote:

> On 12 Mar 2008, "PA Bear [MS MVP]" <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote in
> microsoft.public.windowsxp.general:
>
> > It /could/ have an affect on performance, yes. See
> > http://www.mvps.org/winhelp2002/hosts.htm#Note
>
> OK. It says that it can slow things down if it grows over 135kb.


Did you read past that sentence? Yes, it says that. But it also tells
you how to resolve that issue.



> Mine
> is now 228 kb. I have notices a few times lately where I wouldn't
> connect to a site with my browser, and then after a refresh I would get
> it. Maybe it's a time-out due to a too-large file. Next time I see that
> happening I'll put in a clean HOSTS and see if it helps.
>
> Thank you.

--
Ken Blake, Microsoft MVP - Windows Desktop Experience
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