How Can I Disable My Loopback Address?
By Bray Bell
The loopback address is an assigned IP (Internet Protocol) number of 127.0.0.1, which is designated and reserved for the software portion of a network interface. The loopback address is not physically connected to the network and has no actual hardware assigned to it. It is primarily used by network administrators to test the functionality of a network device. This is done by "pinging" the loopback address to see if it responds. If you cannot "ping" your loopback address, no other network traffic will work either.
Step 1
Double-click on your computer C: drive, then browse to "C:\windows\system32\drivers\etc\". This folder should be the same regardless of the version of the Windows operating system you use.
Step 2
Right-click on the file "HOSTS", then left-click "Open". Because the HOSTS file does not have an extension, Windows won't know how to open it. Select "Notepad."
Step 3
Locate the following lines: "127.0.0.1 localhost" and "::1 localhost." Remove them.
Step 4
Save the HOSTS file.
Writer Bio
Bray Bell has been a professional writer since 1999, doing technical writing for companies such as Microsoft and Dell, Inc. He has his bachelor's degree in computer science from Texas Tech University and has been working in the technology field for more than 15 years.