What is the purpose of DNS in browsing?

Study with Khan Academy's The Internet Test. Prepare with dynamic questions, interactive hints, and detailed explanations. Ace your exam confidently!

Multiple Choice

What is the purpose of DNS in browsing?

Explanation:
DNS is what lets the browser find the right web server by turning human-friendly domain names into numeric addresses that computers use to locate sites on the internet. When you type a URL, the system looks up the corresponding IP address so the browser can connect to that server and fetch the page. This mapping, often cached and distributed across many servers, is like an address book for the internet, making it practical to use memorable names instead of long numbers. This process is different from encryption, which protects data in transit, from data compression, which reduces content size, or from cookies, which store small bits of data on your device. So the purpose of DNS in browsing is to translate a domain name into the IP address of the server you want to reach.

DNS is what lets the browser find the right web server by turning human-friendly domain names into numeric addresses that computers use to locate sites on the internet. When you type a URL, the system looks up the corresponding IP address so the browser can connect to that server and fetch the page. This mapping, often cached and distributed across many servers, is like an address book for the internet, making it practical to use memorable names instead of long numbers. This process is different from encryption, which protects data in transit, from data compression, which reduces content size, or from cookies, which store small bits of data on your device. So the purpose of DNS in browsing is to translate a domain name into the IP address of the server you want to reach.

Subscribe

Get the latest from Passetra

You can unsubscribe at any time. Read our privacy policy