What is DNS?
Domain Name System (DNS) translates human-readable domain names into IP addresses.
Key Differences
IP Address
- Numeric identifier (e.g., 192.168.1.1)
- Directly identifies devices
- Used by computers for routing
- More technical, harder to remember
DNS Name
- Human-readable (e.g., google.com)
- Points to one or more IP addresses
- Easy to remember and share
- Flexible—can point to different IPs
How They Work Together
DNS acts as a phonebook, translating names to IP addresses during web requests.
DNS Privacy Concerns
- DNS queries can be monitored
- ISPs can see every domain you visit
- Use DNS over HTTPS to encrypt queries
Conclusion
Understanding DNS and IP addresses is crucial for internet security and privacy.