DNS Magic and Internals

1. Introduction:-

DNS stands for Domain Name System.Each network consists of multiple networking devices. Every divices be identified with the help of a unique IP address given for each device. DNS is used to translate the domain name into IP addresses. When a user searches for a domain name initially it is sent to the DNS server. The DNS server then returns the IP address for that domain name. Smart DNS provides more features than DNS. The below blog covers this in detail regarding DNS.

2. What is DNS:-

In simple words, it's like the phone book of the internet. When you type a website's name (like www.example.com) into your browser, DNS translates that name into an IP address (a series of numbers) that computers use to find each other on the internet.

So, DNS helps your browser locate the website you want to visit.

3. How Does DNS Work:-

Based on the image, here’s how DNS works step by step:

1. User Request – A user enters a website URL (like example.com) into their browser.

2. Recursive DNS Resolver – The request is sent to a recursive DNS resolver, which helps find the correct IP address.

3. Root Name Server – The resolver first contacts the root name server to get information about where to find the domain’s TLD (e.g., .com, .org).

4. TLD Name Server – The root server directs the resolver to the correct top-level domain (TLD) name server, which holds information about domains ending in that TLD.

5. Authoritative Name Server – The TLD server directs the request to the authoritative name server, which stores the actual IP address of the requested domain.

6. IP Address Retrieval – The authoritative name server returns the corresponding IP address to the resolver.

7. Website Loading – The resolver sends the IP address back to the user’s browser, which connects to the website's server and loads the content.

4. Types of DNS Servers:-

Here's a simple diagram to visually represent the Types of DNS Servers:-

          ▼ User Request (example.com)
                      │
                      ▼
           ┌────────────────────────┐
           │  Recursive DNS Resolver │
           └──────────┬──────────────┘
                      │
                      ▼
           ┌────────────────────────┐
           │     Root Name Server    │
           └──────────┬──────────────┘
                      │
                      ▼
           ┌────────────────────────┐
           │      TLD Name Server    │
           └──────────┬──────────────┘
                      │
                      ▼
           ┌────────────────────────┐
           │  Authoritative Server  │
           └──────────┬──────────────┘
                      │
                      ▼
             Returns IP Address
                      │
             Website is Loaded

Summary:-

DNS (Domain Name System) translates domain names into IP addresses, helping users access websites easily. When a user enters a URL, the request goes through a recursive resolver, which queries the root server, TLD server, and authoritative server to retrieve the correct IP. DNS servers include recursive resolvers, root servers, TLD servers, and authoritative servers, working together to load websites efficiently. This hierarchical system ensures fast, reliable internet navigation without requiring users to remember complex numerical IP addresses.