Installing Loopback adapter on Windows

Here we learn how to install loopback adapter on windows machine. Below steps will help us to install in various windows operating systems such as windows 2003, window XP, Windows Vista and windows7.

To install Loopback Adapter on Windows 2003 or Windows XP:

1. Open the Windows Control Panel.
2. Double-click Add Hardware to start the Add Hardware wizard.

  

3. In the Welcome window, click ‘Next’.

  4. In the ‘Is the hardware connected?’ window, select Yes, 'I have already connected the 
      hardware' and click ‘Next’

5. In the ‘The following hardware is already installed on your computer’ window, in 

    the list of installed hardware, select Add a new hardware device, and click Next.

6. In the ‘The wizard can help you install other hardware’ window, select ‘Install the 
    hardware that I manually select from a list’ and click Next

7. From the list of hardware types, select the type of hardware you are installing window, 
    select Network adapters, and click Next

8. In the Select Network Adapter window, make the following selections:

• Manufacturer: Select Microsoft.
• Network Adapter: Select Microsoft Loopback Adapter
• Click Next

9. In the ‘The wizard is ready to install your hardware’ window, click Next

10. In the Completing the Add Hardware Wizard window, click Finish.

If you are using Windows 2003, restart your computer.

11. Right-click My Network Places on the desktop and choose Properties. This displays the 
      Network Connections Control Panel. Right-click the connection that was just created. 
      This is usually named "Local  Area Connection 2". Choose Properties 

12.On the General tab, select Internet Protocol (TCP/IP), and click Properties.

In the Properties dialog box, click Use the following IP address and do the following:

• IP Address: Enter a non-routable IP for the loopback adapter. Oracle recommends the following non-routable addresses:
• 10.10.10.10
• Subnet mask: Enter 255.255.255.0.
• Record the values you entered, which you will need later in this procedure.
• Leave all other fields empty.

13 Click OK

14. Close Network Connections

15. Restart the computer.

16. Add a line to the SYSTEM_DRIVE:\WINDOWS\system32\drivers\etc\hosts file  

     with the following format, after the localhost line:

IP_address   machinename  machinename

where:

• IP_address is the non-routable IP address you entered in step 16.
• Machinename is the name of the computer.
• domainname is the name of the domain.

For example:

10.10.10.10   localhost   localhost

        To validate the loopback configuration open a command prompt and enter 

        the following:

        C:\> ping localhost

        You should see a reply from IP address (10.10.10.10

        Note: Instead of localhost, we can give machine name also

Installing Loopback Adapter on Windows Vista:

1. Open the Windows Control Panel.
2. Double-click Add Hardware to start the Add Hardware wizard.
3. In the Welcome window, click Next.
4. In the The wizard can help you install other hardware window, select Install the hardware that I manually select from a list, and click Next.
5. From the list of hardware types, select the type of hardware you are installing window, select Network adapters, and click Next.
6. In the Select Network Adapter window, make the following selections:

o    Manufacturer: Select Microsoft.

o    Network Adapter: Select Microsoft Loopback Adapter.

7. Click Next.
8. In the The wizard is ready to install your hardware window, click Next.
9. In the Completing the Add Hardware Wizard window, click Finish. Right-click My Network Places on the desktop and choose Properties. This displays the Network Connections Control Panel.
10. Right-click the connection that was just created. This is usually named "Local Area Connection 2". Choose Properties.
11. On the General tab, select Internet Protocol (TCP/IP) IPv4, and click Properties.
12. In the Properties dialog box, click Use the following IP address and do the following:
• IP Address: Enter a non-routable IP for the loopback adapter. Oracle recommends the following non-routable addresses:
• 10.10.10.10
• Subnet mask: Enter 255.255.255.0.
• Record the values you entered, which you will need later in this procedure.
• Leave all other fields empty.
• Click OK.
13. Record the values you entered, which you will need later in this procedure.
14. Leave all other fields empty.
15. Click OK.
16. Close Network Connections.
17. Restart the computer.
18. Add a line to the SYSTEM_DRIVE:\WINDOWS\system32\drivers\etc\hosts file with the following format, after the localhost line .

o    If you cannot edit the file , search for cmd.exe from start menu, right click the cmd.exe select Run as Administrator and navigate to (cd drivers\etc) , type the command edit hosts and add the below entry

IP_address   machinename  machinename

where:

IP_address is the non-routable IP address you entered in step 12.

Machinename is the name of the computer.

For example:

10.10.10.10   localhost   localhost

To validate the loopback configuration open a command prompt and enter the following

C:\> ping  localhost

You should see a reply from IP address (10.10.10.10)

Note: Instead of localhost, we can give machine name also.

Installing Loopback Adapter on Windows7:

1. Search for cmd.exe , Right click and select Run As Administrator and enter hdwwiz.exe
2. In the 'The wizard can help you install other hardware' window, select Install the hardware that I manually select from a list, and click Next.
3. From the list of hardware types, select the type of hardware you are installing window, select Network adapters, and click Next.
4. In the Select Network Adapter window, make the following selections:

o    Manufacturer: Select Microsoft.

o    Network Adapter: Select Microsoft Loopback Adapter.

5. Click Next.
6. In the The wizard is ready to install your hardware window, click Next.
7. In the Completing the Add Hardware Wizard window, click Finish. Right-click My Network Places on the desktop and choose Properties. This displays the Network Connections Control Panel.
8. Right-click the connection that was just created. This is usually named "Local Area Connection 2". Choose Properties.
9. On the General tab, select Internet Protocol (TCP/IP) IPv4, and click Properties.
10. In the Properties dialog box, click Use the following IP address and do the following:
• IP Address: Enter a non-routable IP for the loopback adapter. Oracle recommends the following non-routable addresses:
• 10.10.10.10
• Subnet mask: Enter 255.255.255.0.
• Record the values you entered, which you will need later in this procedure.
• Leave all other fields empty.
• Click OK.
11. Record the values you entered, which you will need later in this procedure.
12. Leave all other fields empty.
13. Click OK.
14. Close Network Connections.
15. Restart the computer.
16. Add a line to the SYSTEM_DRIVE:\WINDOWS\system32\drivers\etc\hosts file with the following format, after the localhost line .

o    If you cannot edit the file , search for cmd.exe from start menu, right click the cmd.exe select Run as Administrator and navigate to (cd drivers\etc) , type the command edit hosts and add the below entry

IP_address   machinename  machinename

where:

IP_address is the non-routable IP address you entered in step 10.

Machinename is the name of the computer.

For example:

10.10.10.10   localhost   localhost

To validate the loopback configuration open a command prompt and enter the following

ping  localhost

You should see a reply from ip address (10.10.10.10)          

Note: Instead of localhost we can give machine name also.

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Hope it is useful,
Bose