DNS

DNS (Domain Name System) is the system that translates human-readable domain names into IP addresses that computers use to locate servers on the internet.

Instead of remembering a numerical IP address for every website, users can enter a domain name such as example.com, and DNS resolves that name to the appropriate server address.

Also known as: Domain Name System, domain name resolution system.

How Does DNS Work?

When a user enters a domain name into a browser, a DNS lookup is performed to find the corresponding IP address.

A typical DNS resolution process works like this:

1. The user enters a domain name.
2. The device checks whether the address is already cached.
3. If not, the request is sent to a DNS resolver.
4. The resolver queries the relevant DNS servers.
5. The correct IP address is returned.
6. The browser connects to the destination server using that address.

This process usually happens within milliseconds.

DNS Resolver vs. DNS Server

A DNS resolver receives DNS queries from users and finds the requested information.

A DNS server stores or provides DNS records for domains.

In simple terms:

• DNS Resolver: Looks up the answer.
• DNS Server: Provides the DNS records used to answer the request.

DNS vs. IP Address

DNS and IP addresses are closely related, but they serve different purposes in internet communication.

A domain name is a human-readable address such as example.com, while an IP address is the numerical address that identifies a server or device on a network.

For example:

example.com

may resolve to an IP address such as:

93.184.216.34

DNS connects the two so users do not need to remember numerical addresses.