If you are an internet user, you might have heard about the term DNS. So, what is DNS Server?
Before mobile phones became common, we used to have landline phones. As we were not able to store any contacts in them, we used to have a large Phone Directory that contains all the contacts and phone numbers. DNS works on a similar concept. But, instead of phone numbers, DNS contains all the web addresses. Let’s discuss more on What is DNS Server in Computer Network and How DNS works.
Table of Contents
What is DNS?
DNS stands for Domain Name System, which is basically the phone directory of the internet. For Example, when you type YouTube.com, Facebook.com, or other websites in the URL bar, your browsers will search for its IP Address and open the website.
For Example, in the phonebook or Mobile Phone, we have Contact Names and Numbers. But, we usually search for a contact by his/her name, because remembering the number would be difficult. Similarly, the DNS saves all website names and addresses on the internet. And when we type the Website Name, it sends us to the website’s address.
How DNS Work?
The computer does not understand human language. Therefore, when we type the website name in the URL bar, the browser converts it into an IP address using Domain Name Server (DNS). As we have discussed in our previous topic, the IP Addresses are a set of numbers converted into Binary Langauge for the computer to understand.
You can read more about IP Addresses by clicking on the above link. We have also written an article on the Difference Between IPV4 and IPV6.
Types of DNS Servers:
Servers are computers that store various data. And, the servers that store the IP addresses of various websites are called DNS Servers. There are four types of DNS Servers.
- DNS Recursive Resolver
- Root Name Server
- Top-Level Domain (TLD Name Server)
- Authoritative Name Server
Is DNS Necessary:
You can simply enter a Website’s IP Address in the URL bar, without utilizing DNS. However, most users on the Internet use Static IP Addresses. Therefore, we require a DNS Server which holds the latest IP Addresses of the websites. Besides that, it is also hard to remember all those IP Addresses.
Check our previous article on the Difference Between Static Vs Dedicated IP Addresses.
Conclusion:
So, basically, DNS (Domain Name System) is the address book on the internet, which allows users to browse websites by typing their name. If you still have any queries on What is DNS Server, and How DNS Works, you can contact us. However, if you know the Dedicated IP Address of the website, DNS is not required.
