DNS question : NEWBIE alert!

[Kevin Smith [kc7eph]]

Currently, I have no (direct) Internet connection on my Linux box that I use
routinely.  I use ppp occasionaly, so I have that set up.  My problem is:
When the Linux box is NOT connected to the Internet, hence no DNS services
available, and I try to connect via my network to it, it waits until the DNS
lookup fails (60 seconds) to connect to the box.  My question is:  What file
do I edit and what do I add/change so that when a local machine on my
network tries to connect to the Linux box, the Linux box does not try to
look up that address via DNS??

Thanks!

Kevin Smith