DNS

DNS (Domain Name System) is what translates domain names into IP (Internet Protocol) addresses.  Every computer connected to the Internet has to have an IP address to identify it on the network.  Howerver, since domain names are easier to remember, we generally use domain names rather than IP addresses. 

For instance, when you type in www.ez-net.com into your web browser, there is a request made to EZ-Net's DNS server to lookup www.ez-net.com 's real IP address, which is actually 205.243.220.1.

We would most likely use DNS most when bringing up web pages.  Almost every web page you look at has a domain name for easier access.

For more information on DNS:

• http://teach.cs.unitn.it/PPI/Internet/Def/dns.htm
• Mr. DNS
• http://www.dns.net/dnsrd/docs/whatis.html