DNS is an abbreviation for “Domain Name System.” It is a system that connects you to websites by matching human-readable domain names (such as Your Blog Master.com) with the unique ID of the server where the website is stored.
Consider the DNS system to be the internet’s phonebook. Instead of listing people’s names and phone numbers, it lists domain names and their corresponding identifiers known as IP addresses. When a user types a domain name into their device, such as Your Blog Master.com, it looks up the IP address and connects them to the physical location where that website is stored.
How Does DNS Operate?
The internet is a massive computer network. Each internet-connected device is assigned a unique IP address, which allows other computers to identify it.
This IP address is a string of numbers separated by periods that looks something like this: 192.124.249.166.
Consider how difficult it would be to remember such long strings of numbers in order to access your favorite websites. They are difficult to remember and provide no information about the website you will see if you enter them into a browser.
Domain names were created to address this issue by utilizing alphabets and allowing users to choose easy-to-remember names for their websites.
DNS, or Domain Name System, converts domain names into IP addresses and directs your device in the right direction.
A “DNS record” is a domain name and its corresponding IP address.
In four steps, here’s a simple explanation of how DNS works.
Assume you want to go to our website, www.Your Blog Master.com.
- You launch your browser and type www.Your Blog Master.com into the address bar before pressing the Enter key on your keyboard. There is an immediate check to see if you have previously visited our website.
If the DNS records are found in your computer’s DNS cache, the rest of the DNS lookup is bypassed, and you are taken directly to www.Your Blog Master.com.
- If no DNS records are found, a query to your local DNS server is sent. This is typically your Internet service provider’s server and is referred to as a “resolving nameserver.”
- If the records are not cached on the resolving nameserver, the request is routed to a “root nameserver” to locate the DNS records. Root nameservers are designated servers located all over the world that are in charge of storing DNS data and keeping the system running smoothly. Your computer caches the DNS record once it is found on the root nameserver.
- Now that the DNS records have been located, a connection to the server containing the website will be established, and www.Your Blog Master.com will be displayed on your screen.
What exactly is a Name Server?
The internet is made possible by a network of computers known as servers. A server is a type of computer that is used to store and deliver websites to other computers all over the world.
A name server, also spelled “nameserver,” is a type of server that stores all of your domain name’s DNS records. Its responsibility is to provide your DNS information to anyone who requests it.
Each nameserver has its own IP address and can store records from multiple websites. For example, if your website is hosted by Bluehost, the name servers used to manage your DNS records will have the following addresses:
NS1.bluehost.com
NS2.bluehost.com
NS3.bluehost.com
At least two nameservers are required for each domain name. The primary server is the first nameserver. If the primary server does not respond, the domain name is resolved by the secondary nameserver.
Some WordPress hosting providers also provide users with the option of obtaining their own private nameservers. Your Blog Master, for example, employs its own private nameserver.
NS0.YOUR BLOG MASTER.COM
NS1.YOUR BLOG MASTER.COM
NS2.YOUR BLOG MASTER.COM
NS3.YOUR BLOG MASTER.COM
NS4.YOUR BLOG MASTER.COM
How to Modify Nameservers
The best feature of the DNS system is that it enables website owners to relocate their sites without changing their domain names.
The best domain registrars typically offer domain owners simple tools for managing their nameservers.
Ideally, you should register your domain with your hosting provider. Using your own hosting provider eliminates the need to transfer a domain name or switch nameservers.
If you have your domain name registered with one provider but your website is hosted elsewhere, you can simply change your DNS nameservers to point to your web host.
If your domain name is registered with Domain.com and your website is hosted with one of the popular WordPress web hosting companies, you can easily change your nameservers.
Some WordPress hosting companies may provide cPanel for managing your hosting account. We’ll use Domain.com to demonstrate how to change DNS records:
Log in to Domain.com first, then select Manage.
Then, in the left-hand menu, select DNS and Nameservers.
Then, on the right side of the screen, click the three dots to select the domain name.
Now, click Edit to change your nameservers.
Then, in the provided field, enter your nameserver.
Finally, click Submit Changes, and you’re finished.
If you do not have a Domain.com account, you can change your name servers through your web host or registrar account. If you can’t figure out how to change them, check your domain registrar’s support pages or send them an email.
What exactly is a CNAME Record?
Canonical Name is an abbreviation for Canonical Name. A CNAME record is a type of DNS record that is used to point one domain name to another, rather than an IP address.
Assume you want to ensure that your website is example.com, but you’ve also registered examples.com and want it to redirect to your main website.
In that case, you can configure a CNAME record so that anyone visiting examples.com is directed to example.com instead.
Adding a CNAME Record
Adding the CNAME record is useful if you plan to configure your domain to use a professionally branded email service, such as Outlook.com, or if you want to set up a branded email account in G Suite and Gmail.
To add a CNAME record, sign in to your Domain.com account, select Manage, and then click on DNS and Nameservers » Add DNS Record on the next screen.
Next, edit the CNAME record by clicking the three dots next to the record you want to change and then clicking Edit.
Then, on the right, select CNAME from the dropdown menu. Fill in the blanks with the necessary information.
After entering the necessary information, click the Add DNS button to finish.
If you can’t find the settings for changing the CNAME record on your hosting account, contact your hosting provider, and they’ll be able to assist you.
What exactly is MX Record?
Mail Exchanger records are abbreviated as MX records. It is a different type of DNS record that specifies a mail server to handle email for a specific domain name.
For example, if you add an MX record provided by Outlook.com to your-domain.com, any email received by your-domain.com will be handled by Outlook.com mail servers.
How to Insert an MX Record
It is simple to add an MX record entry. Using Domain.com, we’ll show you how to add an MX record entry to your domain name.
Log in to your Domain.com account first, then select Manage, then DNS and Nameservers on the next page.
Then, press the blue Add DNS Record button.
Then, from the list, select the MX record you want to edit and click on the three dots on the right.
Now, make your changes to the MX record and click Update DNS to finish.
If you can’t find the settings for changing the MX records on your hosting account, ask your hosting provider to show you how to do so.
What exactly is a TXT record?
A TXT record is another type of DNS resource record. TXT records can include SPF (Sender Policy Framework) and DKIM (Domain Key Identified Mail) records, which include an encrypted key in outgoing mail.
By adding a trust layer to your mail server, this information improves email deliverability.
How to Insert a TXT Record
TXT records are useful when using a third-party mail service on your own domain name, such as G Suite or Outlook.com. We’ll show you how to use Domain.com to add a TXT record to your DNS records settings.
To begin, log in to your Domain.com account and select Manage, followed by DNS and Nameservers on the next page.
Then, press the blue Add DNS Record button.
Then, scroll down to the TXT records and click on the three dots on the right.
Finally, make any necessary changes to the TXT record and click Update DNS.
What Is the Difference Between Free and Paid DNS?
When a user visits your website from a specific region of the world, the closest nameservers managed by local ISPs cache your website’s DNS records.
This allows other users in that region to quickly find your website.
DNS requests, on the other hand, continue to take time to resolve. This is usually measured in milliseconds and is unimportant for small businesses and blogs.
As a result, most websites rely solely on the DNS servers provided by their hosting provider or domain name registrar.
You can also use free DNS service providers such as Cloudflare, which provides faster free DNS but only limited firewall protection.
Larger businesses typically choose paid DNS to benefit from smart features such as 100% uptime, faster lookup speeds, geo traffic redirection, secondary DNS, increased security, and more.
DNSMadeEasy is one of the fastest DNS providers in the industry, and we use them at Your Blog Master.
We hope this article has taught you everything you need to know about DNS and how it works. To learn more, see the recommended reading list below.
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