Lesson 3 of 6
How DNS Works
Learn how domain names become IP addresses.
The phonebook of the internet
DNS (Domain Name System) converts human-friendly names like example.com into IP addresses computers use to connect. Without DNS, you would need to memorize numbers for every website.
When you type a URL, your device asks a DNS resolver for the matching IP. The resolver may check its cache or query other DNS servers until it finds the answer.
Common DNS record types
A records map a domain to an IPv4 address. AAAA records map to IPv6. MX records define mail servers. TXT records store text used for email security and verification. NS records list authoritative nameservers.
You can inspect these records with our free DNS Lookup tool.
Key takeaways
- DNS translates domain names into IP addresses.
- A, AAAA, MX, TXT, and NS are common record types.
- DNS caching makes browsing faster.