What is DNS?

For example, anyone who deals with the basic structure of the Internet or networks will quickly come across the term DNS. We'll explain what it's all about.

What does DNS mean and what is it for?

• If you want to open a website like chip.de with your browser, enter the address in the corresponding field. To actually find the website, the browser needs the IP address. The DNS helps here.
• The Domain Name System, or DNS for short, is a system that converts Internet addresses or computer names into IP addresses and vice versa.
• If you now enter chip.de in your browser, a request for the IP address will be sent to the DNS server. For private individuals, this is usually available from the associated Internet provider. The DNS server then returns the IP address.
• Should a DNS server not find a name or an IP address, the other DNS server asks. There are numerous DNS servers all over the world, all of which are networked with each other and constantly inform each other about changes.
• The DNS is therefore responsible and necessary for us to be able to access websites via Internet addresses or IP addresses.

We explain DNS in a little more detail in our CHIP Forum Index. In this practical tip, we will explain what the DNS client is all about.