What is DNS and how does it work?
The Domain Name System (known as DNS) is a system used to convert a name (like www.google.com) into an IP address (like 192.168.2.1).
What is DNS and how does it work?
The Domain Name System (known as DNS) is a system used to convert a name (like www.google.com) into an IP address (like 192.168.2.1). These addresses are used by computers to communicate with each other on the internet. Most people find remembering names much easier than numbers, so DNS makes this process easy.
When you visit a website, your computer, phone or tablet will first check your local DNS cache for the corresponding IP address. If your device has not recently looked up this website, then it will need to ask your configured DNS server which will forward the request on to the DNS server responsible for managing the records. This process is known as a DNS lookup request.
Once the IP address is known, it is stored locally for a set period of time known as the Time To Live (TTL) and used to speed up future requests. Updated records will not be returned until this time has expired, this can often be the cause of why DNS changes do not appear to be working right away.
What is DNS propagation?
DNS propagation is the term commonly used to check the current state of DNS results globally and is often asked about when changes made to DNS zones do not appear to be working as expected. This process can take from only a few minutes, but often takes up to 48-72 hours and sometimes longer.
