DNS Explained: How Your Browser Decodes Website Addresses

Short summary

DNS is the internet's phonebook that translates domain names like www.google.com into IP addresses through a three-tier hierarchy of root, TLD, and authoritative name servers. Resolution typically completes in 20-120ms thanks to caching, and modern protocols like DoH and DoT encrypt queries for privacy. As a developer, you'll work with DNS constantly: A records for IPv4, CNAME for aliases, MX for mail, and TXT for verification.

• •DNS hierarchy: root servers → TLD servers → authoritative name servers
• •Resolution completes in 20-120ms via browser cache, OS hosts file, and recursive resolver
• •Modern privacy protocols (DoH, DoT) encrypt DNS queries to protect user browsing

Generated with AI, which can make mistakes.