DNS - Internet's Underrated Superhero!

Wait! What even is DNS?

DNS (short for Domain Name System) is Internet's GPS. How? Now lets say you want to locate McDonalds in your city what would you do? Pick your smart phone & type "Mcdonalds <your city name>" into maps to get directions.

Maps utilizes geocoding to convert "Mcdonalds <your city name>" into latitude & longitude coordinates.

DNS works the same way; however the coordinates(IP addresses) can keep changing. Without DNS, we have to keep memorizing IPs like 88.223.85.156 to open my blog! I bet no one would do that. Just imagine remembering Google, Facebook, Instagram, Amazon, X, Tiktok & other websites IPs? DNS is a Human Friendly Navigation system of Internet. It converts names to IP addresses.

DNS Key Benefits

1. Improved Speed: Uses UDP protocol & it also caches responses for quicker resolutions

2. Greater Flexibilty: You can move from one server to another or one provider to another without disrupting user traffic. Change the authority who can manage DNS in few hours or setup a new domain in minutes

3. Scalable: Its decentralized & the hierarchical system distributes responsibility globally. You are the master of your domain & its sub-domains

4. User Experience: Makes the internet easier to access - no tech skills required

Conclusion: DNS is the underrated superhero of Internet

DNS isn't just about convenience - it's what makes the internet work at scale. Next time when you click a link, remember: there's a silent hero in the background, translating your requests into a language machines understand.

The invisible systems that power our digital world.