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How DNS and Hosting Work Together: The Complete Picture

Mohammad AM

Dec 7, 2024

Confused About How Websites Actually Work? The Pieces to the Puzzle

In this post, we want to dive into how DNS and hosting work together to bring your website to life.

Explaining DNS

You can think of your domain name as your website’s street address, and your web hosting would be the actual building located at that address, or an apartment within the building. But how does the internet know where to find that building when someone types in your address? That is the role of the Domain Name System, or DNS.

DNS is Your Website’s GPS

The DNS (Domain Name System) translates your easy-to-remember domain name (like www.example.com) into a numerical IP address (like 192.168.1.1), which is the actual address of the server where your website files are stored – your web hosting server.

Think of it this way: when someone searches for a specific address on their phone, the GPS translates that address into geographical coordinates that the phone uses to navigate to the destination. DNS does something similar for websites.

DNS domain name translation process

(1) The user types your domain name into their browser.

(2) The DNS server translates the domain name into the IP address of your hosting server.

A Real-World Example

Let’s walk through a typical scenario:

  1. User Types: A visitor types www.example.com into their browser’s address bar.
  2. DNS Lookup: The browser sends a request to a DNS server to find the IP address associated with www.example.com. The DNS server looks up the record and finds the corresponding IP address (e.g., 192.168.1.100).
  3. Request to Hosting Server: The browser uses the IP address to send a request to the web hosting server located at 192.168.1.100. This request essentially says, “Hey, I’m looking for the website files for www.example.com.”
  4. Server Responds: The web hosting server receives the request and retrieves the necessary website files (HTML, CSS, JavaScript, images, etc.) for www.example.com.
  5. Website Rendering: The hosting server sends these files back to the user’s browser. The browser then interprets the code and renders the website, displaying the content to the user.

So, in short, the browser asks DNS where the website is located, and then asks that location (the hosting server) to provide the website for display.

C. The Importance of Correct DNS Configuration

Proper DNS configuration is absolutely crucial for your website’s functionality. Incorrect DNS settings can lead to several problems:

  • Website Downtime: If the DNS record points to the wrong IP address or is not configured correctly, visitors won’t be able to find your website. This results in lost traffic, potential revenue loss, and a negative impact on your brand reputation. Imagine someone trying to visit your store, but the address on Google Maps is wrong, and they can’t find it!
  • Email Delivery Issues: DNS records also handle email routing. Incorrect settings can cause emails to bounce, be marked as spam, or not be delivered at all. This can disrupt communication with customers, partners, and employees.
  • Security Vulnerabilities: In some cases, incorrect DNS settings can make your website more vulnerable to certain types of cyberattacks.

In Conclusion

DNS and web hosting work hand-in-hand to make your website accessible to the world. Understanding how they interact is essential for managing your online presence effectively. By ensuring your DNS records are correctly configured, you can avoid website downtime, email delivery problems, and potential security risks.

While this might seem technical, many hosting providers offer user-friendly tools to manage your DNS settings. If you’re unsure, don’t hesitate to seek help from a web professional. A little bit of knowledge goes a long way in ensuring your website runs smoothly and successfully!

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