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DNS, or Domain Name System, is the internet's directory that translates human-readable domain names (like www.google.com) into machine-readable IP addresses (like 173.194.39.78). This is a crucial service for the internet, as it allows users to access websites without needing to remember complex numbers. It functions like a phone book, using a hierarchical system of DNS servers to find and return the correct IP address for a requested domain name.

How it works

User request: When you type a website address into your browser, your computer sends a request to a DNS server.

DNS server lookup: The local DNS server checks its cache for the IP address. If it doesn't have it, it queries other DNS servers.

The request is passed up a hierarchy of servers:

Root name server: Directs the request to the correct top-level domain (TLD) server (e.g., for .com or .org).

Top-level domain (TLD) server: Directs the request to the authoritative name server. Authoritative name server: Contains the final IP address for that specific domain name and sends it back to the local DNS server.

Resolution: The local DNS server sends the IP address to your computer, which then uses it to connect to the correct web server and load the website.