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A fun and colorful explanation of how DNS works.

Link to article
  • Domain Name System
  • Maps hostname to IP address
  • sub.domain.tld → 165.15.25.12
  • Browser makes a DNS Query to get the IP address of the hostname
  • Looks in the local browser cache
  • then the local operating system cache
  • then up the ladder as far as it needs to go to find the IP
  • Server: DNS Recursive Resolver
  • * makes a request to the root server / gets info/(the address of the) tld (top level domain) (.com etc)
  • * then it makes a request to that tld’s server (responses with the IP of the authoritative name server)
  • * then makes a request to the authoritative name server (responds with the request website’s IP address)
  • That then gets requested and cached on the client for future use.
  • .
  • Zone File (you can configure the domain settings)
  • Start of Authority record (SOA)
  • A record (address)
  • CNAME record (canonical name) for forwarding to another domain (not an IP)
  • MX record (mail exchange)
  • TXT record (text) (arbitrary data) (often used to communicate with 3rd parties / verify ownership etc)
  • NS record (Name Server) (a URL the internet can ping to find the IP address.)

Let's be friends