I tried a little experiment with Windows ME. I first opened the web page www.cbc.ca/news without any LMHOSTS file. (Yes, Windows uses caps). It took: 5 seconds to load page header, additional 5 seconds to load the bulk of the web page, and 9 seconds to load counts of forum comments to links of news stories.
I then added LMHOSTS with the links that Mike provided. However, following instructions from the example LMHOSTS.SAV file, I ensured one line per URL. So I split lines that Mike had combined, added the local IP address to all of them. To ensure timing was not do to any cache, I closed IE before each test. The test web page is one I often look at, so no difference between the first test and later tests. It took: 4 seconds to load the page hearder, additional 4 seconds to load the bulk of the page, and 8 seconds to load counts of comments.
This is a little difference, but not a lot. Within experimental error? I do have an ad blocker, so some of the work is already done.
Rob Dyck