What is DNS and how does it work?

Misternard – DNS, or Domain Name System, is a crucial component of the internet infrastructure that translates human-readable domain names into IP addresses, which computers use to connect to each other. This article will provide an overview of what DNS is, how it works, and why it’s important.

Table of Contents

What is DNS?

At its core, DNS is a system that converts domain names into IP addresses. When you type a URL into your web browser, such as “google.com”, DNS is responsible for translating that domain name into an IP address that the browser can use to connect to the Google web server. DNS acts as a sort of phone book for the internet, allowing computers to find and connect to each other using human-readable names instead of IP addresses.

How does DNS work?

The DNS system is hierarchical in nature, with a series of servers and databases that work together to translate domain names into IP addresses. When you type a URL into your browser, your computer sends a request to a Domain Name System resolver, which is typically provided by your internet service provider (ISP).

The Domain Name System resolver then contacts a series of DNS servers, starting with the root DNS server. The root DNS server responds to the request with the IP address of the top-level domain (TLD) server for the domain name in question. For example, if the request was for “google.com”, the root DNS server would respond with the IP address of the “.com” TLD server.

The DNS resolver then contacts the TLD server for the domain name, which responds with the IP address of the authoritative DNS server for the domain. This server is typically operated by the domain owner or their hosting provider and contains the Domain Name System records for the domain.

Finally, the DNS resolver contacts the authoritative DNS server and requests the IP address for the domain name. The authoritative server responds with the IP address, which the DNS resolver then returns to the requesting computer.

Why is DNS important?

DNS is a critical component of the internet infrastructure that allows computers to communicate with each other using human-readable domain names. Without Domain Name System, every computer on the internet would have to be accessed using its IP address, which would be difficult to remember and prone to errors.

Domain Name System also plays an important role in internet security. For example, Domain Name System can be used to block access to malicious websites or to redirect users to a safe version of a website if the original site has been compromised.

DNS Record Types

DNS records contain information about a domain name and its associated IP address(es). Some common DNS record types include:

A Records

A records are used to map a domain name to an IPv4 address. For example, the A record for “google.com” might be “172.217.12.174”.

AAAA Records

AAAA records are used to map a domain name to an IPv6 address. For example, the AAAA record for “google.com” might be “2607:f8b0:4006:807::200e”.

CNAME Records

CNAME records are used to map one domain name to another. For example, a CNAME record for “www.google.com” might point to “google.com”.

MX Records

MX records are used to specify the mail server(s) for a domain name. For example, the MX record for “google.com” might point to “ASPMX.L.GOOGLE.COM”.

Conclusion

Domain Name System is a critical component of the internet infrastructure that allows computers to communicate with each other using human-readable domain names. It works by translating domain names into IP addresses using a hierarchical system of servers and databases. DNS is important for both convenience and security and is an essential part of the internet as we know it.