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What is a DNS Server on My Laptop?

Published in Networking Basics 3 mins read

A DNS server on your laptop is essentially a translator that helps your computer find websites by converting the website names you type (like google.com) into the numerical IP addresses computers use to locate them (like 142.250.184.78).

Here's a more detailed breakdown:

  • The Problem: Humans remember names easily (like domain names: "example.com"). Computers, however, work with numerical addresses (IP addresses: "192.168.1.1").

  • The Solution: DNS. The Domain Name System (DNS) acts as an intermediary. When you type a website address into your browser, your laptop queries a DNS server to find the corresponding IP address.

  • How it works on your laptop:

    • Your Laptop is a DNS Client: Your laptop is configured to send DNS queries to a specified DNS server.
    • DNS Server Lookup: The DNS server then searches its database (or asks other DNS servers) to find the IP address associated with the domain name.
    • Returning the IP: Once the DNS server finds the IP address, it sends it back to your laptop.
    • Connection Established: Your laptop then uses that IP address to connect to the website's server and retrieve the website's content.

  • Where does your laptop get its DNS server address?

    • DHCP: Usually, your laptop automatically receives the DNS server address from your router when you connect to a network. Your router, in turn, usually gets its DNS server address from your Internet Service Provider (ISP).
    • Manual Configuration: You can also manually configure the DNS server address in your laptop's network settings. This is useful if you want to use a specific DNS server, like Google's Public DNS (8.8.8.8 and 8.8.4.4) or Cloudflare's DNS (1.1.1.1). Manually setting a DNS server can sometimes improve browsing speed and security.

  • Example: Let's say you type "www.example.com" into your browser.

    1. Your laptop sends a request to its configured DNS server (e.g., your ISP's DNS server).
    2. The DNS server looks up the IP address for "www.example.com."
    3. The DNS server finds the IP address (e.g., 93.184.216.34) and sends it back to your laptop.
    4. Your laptop then uses the IP address 93.184.216.34 to connect to the server hosting www.example.com and display the website.

In short, a DNS server on your laptop is a crucial component that enables you to access websites using human-readable names instead of complex numerical addresses. It's the internet's phone book, translating names to numbers.

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