#39: DNS: one of the fundamental protocols of the Internet

Around IT in 256 seconds

Domain name system (DNS for short) is one of the fundamental protocols of the Internet. In the Internet all communication is routed through IP addresses. Traditionally, these addresses consist of four numbers, like 91.198.174.192. Each and every server, as well as your computer, is identified using such an address. But we no longer remember phone numbers, let alone IP addresses! Remembering that the aforementioned IP belongs to wikipedia.org is tedious. DNS is often compared to a global phone book. A phone book that maps easy to remember domains like wikipedia.org or gmail.com to IP addresses - usable by machines. Without DNS the Internet could technically work. Just like you could use your phone without contacts, memorizing all phone numbers. DNS servers not only free us from remembering IP addresses. They know all of them.

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