How the Domain Name System works, common record types, reverse lookups, and troubleshooting domain resolution.
How DNS Works: A Plain-English Walkthrough TL;DR — Key Takeaways DNS (Domain Name System) translates human-readable domain names like example.com into machine-readable IP addresses so your browser can load websites. When you type a URL, the DNS resolution process checks up to seven locations — from your browser cache all the way to authoritative nameservers … Read more
What Is Reverse DNS and When Do You Need It? TL;DR A reverse DNS lookup maps an IP address back to a hostname, the opposite of a standard forward DNS query. It relies on PTR records stored in the in-addr.arpa (IPv4) or ip6.arpa (IPv6) namespace. Missing or misconfigured reverse DNS is a leading cause of … Read more
DNS Records Explained: A, AAAA, MX, CNAME, TXT, NS TL;DR — Key Takeaways DNS records are instructions stored on authoritative nameservers that tell the internet how to route traffic, deliver email, and verify domain ownership. The A record is the most fundamental DNS record type — it maps a domain name to an IPv4 address … Read more