DNS (Domain Name System) is a central part of the Internet infrastructure that translates web addresses, such as www.example.com, into IP addresses. DNS works like a phone book for the Internet by matching the easy-to-read domain names with the numerical addresses to enable communication between computers and servers worldwide.
When we type a web address into our browser, it sends a request to our local DNS server to get the IP address of the specified domain. If the server has the information saved, it can immediately respond with the correct IP address. Otherwise, it contacts other DNS servers until the correct answer is obtained.
This process is essential for navigating the internet because it allows us to use easily accessible domain names instead of complex IP addresses when trying to reach various online services or websites. Without a working DNS system, we would have to remember all the IP addresses of our favorite websites, which would be impractical.
In addition to translating names to addresses, DNS can also handle other functions such as email delivery to correct mail server addresses and routing decisions when load balancing among several servers behind the same domain.
In summary, a DNS plays a critical role in the Internet infrastructure by enabling seamless and efficient communication between computers and servers worldwide. It is an invisible but necessary part of our digital experience that we often take for granted when surfing the web.
If you have one VPS or dedicated server is important that you have set up a DNS server so that your server can do DNS lookups. In the standard configuration for our VPS and dedicated servers, we insert a DNS server during installation.
