Domain Name System (DNS)

The Domain Name System (DNS) is a distributed internet directory service. In simple terms it provides the way to locate the internet domains and translate them into IP (Internet Protocols) addresses.

Every computer on the Internet has a unique address which is a complicated string of numbers. It is called its "IP address".

DNS makes using the Internet easier by allowing a familiar string of letters (the "domain name") to be used instead of the arcane IP address. So instead of typing 207.151.159.3, you can type www.internic.net. It is a "mnemonic" device that makes addresses easier to remember.

The importance of DNS can be understood from the fact that if DNS is slow or fails to work we would not be able to locate web addresses and email transfers stalled.