What is a DNS server? In short, DNS is a system that converts website URLs into IP addresses. Without DNS, you have to type the complete IP address when you want to visit a website.

If you are curious about a more complete explanation, don't leave this article. Because here, we will explain the complete understanding of DNS and its functions, the parts of DNS, and how DNS works.

What is DNS?

Domain Name Server or DNS is a system that connects Uniform Resource Locator (URL) and Internet Protocol Address (IP Address).

Normally, to access the internet, you need to type in the IP address of a website. This method is quite troublesome. Because, this means, you need to have a complete list of IP addresses of websites visited and enter them manually.

DNS is a system that summarizes this job for you. Now, all you have to do is remember the domain name and enter it in the address bar. DNS will then translate the domain into an IP address that the computer understands.

Suppose, you want to access Google. Instead of writing 172.217.0.142 into the address bar, you can simply enter the Google.com address.

DNS Benefits

From the explanation of what DNS is, you should be able to guess how DNS actually functions. However, for clarity, here we describe three DNS functions:

• Requesting IP address information for a website based on a domain name;
• Request URL information for a website based on the IP address entered;
• Find the right server for sending email.

Those are the three DNS functions that work automatically when you are accessing the internet.

So, before getting into the explanation of how DNS works, you will ask why you should use DNS?

The following are some of the benefits of using DNS in internet activities:

• It's easier to go internet. Compared to remembering a row of IP address numbers, of course it will be more comfortable to remember the name of the website. DNS has succeeded in bridging communication between internet users and computers.
• More Consistent in Use. You can use the same DNS name even if there are changes to the IP address used. Thus, visitor access to one website can still be done even though there has been a change in IP Address.
• Easier to Configure. When there are problems with the IP address used, you can easily replace it with a different IP. It is enough to update the DNS and IP Address matching data. This will be explained further in How DNS Works.
• Safer. When using a DNS system, all online data transfer activity goes through gated DNS servers. The system will prevent hacking attempts by irresponsible parties. So, the website will be safer.

Now that we know its advantages, let's learn more about the part of DNS.