How to disconnect from localhost?

Question

Is it possible to disconnect from localhost?

I'm writing a Node.js WebSocket server, and I want to test locally what would happen if the connection closes erroneously.

If I were testing remotely, I'd just Turn Wi-Fi Off, but that doesn't disconnect my connection to localhost.

Thoughts?

Steffi

Answer 1

localhost is just an alias in your hosts file. If you remove that alias then you'll be effectively "disconnecting" from localhost.

Ceolaceorl

I tried this but it doesn't work. I am using Manjaro linux. – Sadonia

Answer 2

I don't know of any way you would do what your asking except perhaps to block the ports or the program you are running on your localhost via its firewall.

Baziotes

Answer 3

As David mentioned, you can block ports with a simple firewall.

For example on OSX, to block localhost on port 8080

$ sudo ipfw add deny tcp from any to localhost 8080

Will return a response like:

00100 deny tcp from any to 127.0.0.1 dst-port 8080

And then to remove the rule:

sudo ipfw delete 00100

(ipfw is deprecated in favor of pfctl, but I still find it simpler for these purposes)

Ramsgate

Sadly, ipfw was removed in Yosemite. – Ramsgate

Answer 4

try this:

disconnect

sudo ifconfig lo down
# or
sudo ip link set dev lo down 

connect

sudo ifconfig lo up
# or
sudo ip link set dev lo up 

NOTE: 'lo' stands for loopback device 127.0.0.1

Dwarfish

Answer 5

Instead of using localhost, I use the IPv4 address (which can be obtained using ipconfig call or looking into Local Area Connection) to access local machine, and then, to simulate network failure, I just disable Local Area Connection. It helps me test network failures on local machine.

Sauter