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The term local machine refers to the computer that a user is currently using on a computer network. It can be considered to be the opposite of a remote machine, which is any host (i.e., computer connected to the network) other than the local machine. A local machine has a default name of localhost, a default domain name of localdomain, and a default IP address of 127.0.0.1. This is the so-called loopback address, because the information which is sent to it from a local machine is sent back to the same machine rather than being routed over the network to a remote machine. Although the word machine is most commonly used to refer to a mechanical (or largely mechanical) device with moving parts, it is also frequently used in the computer field as a synonym for computer. Created December 18, 2005. |