HOSTDNI

HostDNI (pronounced Host-Dee-n-eye) is an advanced hosts file management and network monitoring application for macOS.

• Real-time network traffic monitoring (see all incoming/outgoing connections)
• Block/allow list management with easy UI
• Custom block landing page (optionally redirect blocked domains to a local info page)
• Backup and restore hosts file
• Virtual scrolling for large hosts files (millions of entries)
• Fast search, filter, and bulk operations
• Modern, responsive UI
• Tauri-based desktop app (Rust backend, React frontend)
• Password protection - Secure your application with a password and automatic locking

HostDNI includes a comprehensive password protection system to secure your application:

• Password Lock: Require a password to access the application
• Automatic Locking: App locks automatically after a configurable period of inactivity
• Manual Lock: Lock the app manually using the lock button in the navigation
• Secure Storage: Passwords are hashed before storage (never stored in plain text)
• Startup Protection: App locks on startup when password protection is enabled

1. Navigate to Settings in the application
2. Enable Password Protection in the Password Protection section
3. Set your desired password (minimum 4 characters)
4. Configure the Idle Timeout (1 minute to 1 hour)
5. Use the Change Password button to update your password later
6. Use the Disable Protection button to turn off password protection

• Passwords are hashed using a secure algorithm before storage
• The app automatically locks after the specified idle timeout
• You can manually lock the app at any time using the lock button
• Password protection persists across app restarts

• VS Code + Tauri + rust-analyzer

• Node.js (v18+ recommended)
• Rust (stable toolchain)
• Tauri CLI (cargo install tauri-cli or via npm)
• npm (comes with Node.js)

npm install

This will launch both the Vite dev server and the Tauri desktop app in development mode:

npm run tauri dev

• The frontend will hot-reload on changes.
• The backend (Rust) will rebuild and reload as needed.

To create a production build (desktop app):

npm run tauri build

• Use the sidebar to navigate between Hosts File, Allow Lists, Block Lists, Backups, and Network Traffic.
• The Network Traffic section shows real-time connections and whether they are allowed or blocked.
• You can deploy, backup, and restore your hosts file from the UI.
• Optionally enable the custom block landing page (see documentation for details).
• Configure password protection in Settings to secure your application.

Note: Modifying /etc/hosts requires administrator privileges. The app will prompt for your password when needed.

Password Protection: The application includes built-in password protection to secure access to the app. Passwords are securely hashed and never stored in plain text.

• If you see permission errors, ensure you are running the app with the necessary privileges.
• If port 8080 is in use, change the block server port in the backend code.
• For large hosts files, use the virtual scrolling and search features for best performance.
• If you forget your password, you can disable password protection by clearing the app's local storage data.