Step 1:  Remove hosts file entries for test websites

Time to get rid of the hosts file entries used for the test websites. At this point they will add nothing but false hope and heartache. Open the hosts file using your snappy notepad shortcut created in Part 3: Create a notepad shortcut for editing the hosts file. Comment out the test website entries by putting a hash symbol # in front of them:

#192.168.0.200  cache.cow
#192.168.0.200  highland.cow
#192.168.0.200  moo.cow

Save the hosts file. Make sure to do this on the development server and to non-mobile devices that have these entries in their hosts file.

Step 2:  Change the development server’s preferred DNS server IP to localhost

On the development server, change the Preferred DNS server to 127.0.0.1

This will allow BIND to respond to DNS queries for local domains from the development server. Can’t remember how to do this? Check here: Part 2: Assign a static IP address to the development server’s network adaptor.

Step 3:Change the router’s primary DNS server IP to the development server’s static IP

BIND will be configured to listen to 192.168.0.200. Yup, that’s also the static IP of the development server. Devices on the local network, with the exception of the development server, are configured to acquire DNS server IPs from the router. Well, that’s handy. Let’s change the router’s primary DNS address to 192.168.0.200. This will allow BIND to respond to DNS queries for local domains from devices on the local network.

Router admin panels vary widely, so you may have to poke around a bit to find what you are looking for, but isn’t that what manuals are for? Or you could try here: lifewire.com/how-to-change-dns-servers-on-most-popular-routers-2617995

1. Log in to your router’s admin panel.
2. Select the Setup tab.
3. Click the Manual Internet Connection Setup button.
4. Set the Primary DNS Server IP to 192.168.0.200 as shown below.

5. If you haven’t already, set the Secondary DNS Server to one of your ISP’s DNS servers, or a public DNS server of your choice. This is the one used to surf the web.

   
6. Save the settings, reboot if prompted.

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