localhost or LAN addresses in /etc/hosts

[Bart Silverstrim]

Derek Broughton wrote:
> Bart Silverstrim wrote:
> 
>> If we're talking home routers, those SOHO devices from
>> Staples/newegg/whatever, chances are the @#$% things will die in less
>> than a year or two anyway so the less I rely on them for configuring
>> my network the less hassle I have replacing it.
> 
> My Linksys wrt54Gs have been running 3 years non-stop without any 
> significant problems (and I can back up their configuration easily).

Exceptions to every rule :-)

I've had several die, or I've had them half-die (for example, wireless 
dies or goes wonky but switch works fine).

>>> How is setting up MAC addresses to match devices in the router any
>>> easier than editing /etc/hosts?  That's where I really don't follow
>>> what you're advising.  As it is all I do is:-
>> Because you'd have to edit /etc/hosts on multiple machines if you have
>> multiple machines to administer, 
> 
> Well, that's why he's using dnsmasq, and there's no real problem with 
> that, but he can't have it both ways - he wants to maintain everything 
> in one /etc/hosts, but he doesn't want to separate the "local" 
> information from the "LAN" information, and so he's getting conflicts.

I was just giving one reason to consider it :-) You probably already saw 
my previous response about it by now though.