What is DNS?

dow·mayn naym sur·vuhs

Domain Name System (DNS) is like your phone book for the Internet. Just as you would use it to find someone’s phone number, DNS helps you find the IP address of a website.

DNS is important because it allows you to type in a domain name (ex., hello.com) instead of an IP address (101.0.1.1).

How does DNS work?

It’s handled by special computers called name servers. When you type in a domain name, your computer contacts a name server and asks for the IP address associated with that domain name. Then, the name server responds with the IP address, and your computer can connect to the website.

DNS is constantly changing and evolving. New domains are being created all the time, and existing domains are often moved to new servers or altered in other ways.

As a result, name servers must be constantly updated to provide accurate information to people.