The gethostbyname function unexpectedly returns the IP addresses in numeric order on a Windows Vista-based computer or on a Windows Server 2008-based computer

Consider the following scenario:

• You are running a Windows Vista-based computer or a Windows Server 2008-based computer.
• The computer has multiple IP addresses.
• You run the gethostbyname function.

In this scenario, the gethostbyname function returns the IP addresses in numeric order. Therefore, the IP address that has the lowest number is returned first. You expect the primary IP address to be returned first.

The concept of a primary IP address does not exist in Windows Vista or in Windows Server 2008. Therefore, this behavior is by design.

The gethostbyname function has been deprecated. We recommend that you use the getaddrinfo function instead. However, we still cannot guarantee that primary IP address will be returned first.

For more information about the gethostbyname function, visit the following Microsoft Web site:For more information about the getaddrinfo function, visit the following Microsoft Web site: