What is DNS?
Domain Name System
It is a global directory system that translates internet domain names into numerical IP addresses that allow computers to find each other.
Overview
The Domain Name System (DNS) is a network protocol that makes it possible to use meaningful website names instead of complex IP addresses that humans would find hard to remember. When you type an address into your browser, DNS servers step in and map this name to the IP address of the correct server. As one of the foundational infrastructure stones of the internet, it ensures uninterrupted communication.
How it works
When a user enters a domain name into a browser, the request is first forwarded to the local DNS cache, and then progressively to the authoritative DNS servers. Once the correct IP address is found, it is returned to the browser and the connection is established. This query process is usually completed within milliseconds.
Where it is used
It is used when accessing websites, in email transmission infrastructures, and in routing between cloud servers.
Commonly confused with
It is confused with the concept of an IP address. An IP address is the actual numerical identity of the device, whereas DNS is the system that maps this identity to human-readable names.
Questions and answers
Can the internet be accessed if DNS crashes?
Domain names cannot be resolved, but if the direct IP addresses of the sites are known, access can be achieved through the browser.
What is a DNS cache?
It is the temporary storage of IP addresses of frequently visited sites on the device; thus eliminating the need to ask the server every time.
Related terms
Related tools
This explanation was written in plain language for TreScout with AI and machine-translated from the Turkish original · the Turkish version prevails. If something looks wrong or missing, write to hello@trescout.com. Read in Turkish →