What is DNS?

DNS refers to the domain name server. The average Internet user breezes through 50 or more DNS' a day while on the world wide web. Most do it without even realizing it. A DNS refers to the process that a computer uses to reach a given web site. When you type in www.hubpages.com, your computer does not understand that language. Instead, it translates it into an IP address that the computer does understand. Thus, HubPages loads in your browser and you go about visiting its hubs without a second thought.

There are two primary components the DNS utilizes: The IP address and the domain name. An IP address is a set of numbers assigned to a given web site server. IP stands for Internet Protocol and typically contains four octets of information. Every computer that utilizes the Internet is assigned a given IP address; web sites utilize a static IP address that changes very infrequently as opposed to an Internet user who goes through several IP changes during their time with a service provider. As long as you have the IP address of the web site you visit, you can visit it with just those numbers.

However, domain names seek to eliminate the confusion of viewing web sites via their IP address. A web site is given a domain name that redirects to the IP address the site uses to host itself on the world wide web. The domain name server directs the domain name to the IP address seamlessly. By working together, it makes it a little easier for users to surf the Internet without dealing with cumbersome streams of IP octets.

Without utilizing the DNS of a given site, it would be harder to surf the world wide web for the average Internet user. DNS gives the Internet a bit of stability in accessing the web server databases of a given site. Since there are billions of web sites out there, having this middleman go between the IP address and domain name just makes it that much simpler to get to your favorite web sites.