The abbreviation DNS stands for Domain Name System. This is a network system that you, as an average internet user, have probably never heard of. However, DNS is of enormous importance to anyone active on the internet, in whatever capacity. DNS ensures that you end up in the right place when you click on a website or type its address into the browser bar. We’ll explain exactly how that works later in this article; you can also watch our explanatory video here:
What is DNS and why is this system necessary?
You could think of the DNS as a database in which all IP addresses of computers or servers are stored. DNS is essential, because when you visit a particular website, you are in fact visiting the IP address of another server.
An IP address is, of course, a combination of numbers up to twelve digits long. In principle, it is therefore impossible for people to remember such an IP address, let alone dozens of addresses. Fortunately, that’s not necessary, because you can access a website simply by typing in a clear, recognizable, easy-to-remember website name.
The concept of IP addresses in the DNS can be easily compared to the contact list on your smartphone. Here, your contacts’ phone numbers play the role of IP addresses, while your contacts’ names serve the same function as website names on the internet.
How the DNS works, simply explained
When you type in a website name (also known as a domain name), you are essentially setting a whole process in motion. The DNS then determines which IP address corresponds to the entered domain name. This process is highly complex, but broadly speaking, it proceeds according to the following steps:
- After typing in a domain name, your browser connects to the so-called primary name server, which is usually your own internet service provider.
- The system reads the domain name. In doing so, the system first looks at the Top-Level Domain (e.g., .nl or .com).
- The DNS looks up which server the entered domain name is located on. Since servers perform updates on a regular basis, the system usually quickly determines which server is the correct one.
- Once the requested domain name and the corresponding IP address have been found by the system, the IP address is forwarded to your internet service provider.
- Now that the IP address is known, the page can actually be displayed in your browser.
Depending on the speed of your internet connection and the loading time of the website in question, this entire process often takes only a few seconds. In fact, a website’s total loading time should ideally not exceed five seconds, and preferably not more than two seconds. If it takes longer than that, many users will simply give up before they even get started.
