Question: What does DNS mean and what does it do?
The IT Guy says:
DNS stands for Domain Name Service. Computers connected to the Internet are all assigned different IP addresses, but few people want to tell others a string of numbers when sharing their Website address. For this reason, domain names like "CNN.com" or "Google" are assigned to that particular server’s IP address, and a translation process takes place when you, the Web user, puts that domain name into your browser. When a domain name is entered, the DNS service used by the local ISP (Internet Service Provider) translates it into the IP address. This is a transparent process for the Web user. DNS servers located all over the world regularly update their information from each other, and theoretically should have the same information—so when you enter a domain name like cnn.com, your Web browser is pointed to the correct server IP address. Different Internet domain registration companies handle DNS registration. Server computers (which share Internet information and are typically on 24/7) are assigned static rather than dynamic IP addresses, because the DNS information for that computer needs to remain consistent.
Next Tip: Tracing IP Addresses
