DNS, the Domain Name System, converts a Hostname into an IP Address.
What is an IP Address and Hostname?
An IP Address is like a phone number for your computer or server.
A Hostname is an easy-to-remember nickname for that number.
Why do we use DNS?
The DNS system was created so you can type a memorable Hostname instead of trying to remember a set of numbers.
You could always dial your server directly by entering the IP Address in your browser. But, who wants to remember all of those numbers?
What does DNS Do?
Each time you type a Hostname in you browser, it automatically looks up the IP Address for you and connects you to that IP Address.
For Example:
When you typed in "www.misk.com" into your web browser, DNS correctly directed you to our main Web Server at the IP Address, 64.74.251.52.
If you had visited "webmail.misk.com", DNS would have directed you to our Webmail Server at 64.74.251.28 instead.
When you go into the Custom DNS section of Domain Essentials, there are 4 different Record Types. Each of these records do different things.
A Records - Points to IP addresses.
MX Records - Directs email sent to your domain.
CNAME Records - Aliases that redirect to another Hostname.
TXT Records - Informational records.
Please review our Glossary of DNS Terms for a more detailed explanation of these record types.