TCP/IP Naming
Systems on a TCP/IP network can be accessed from the network either by their IP address or by a hostname. Hostnames are the names assigned to the system to make them easier to remember. For instance, the secretary's computer might have the address of 192.168.4.23, but you can access it using its hostname of secretary1 or whatever name you assign it.
The name-resolution process from IP address to hostname is often performed dynamically through a Domain Name Server (DNS). It can also be done statically using a text file called 'Hosts,' which is stored on each system.