Domain Name Server (DNS)

A Domain Name Server, or DNS, accepts requests from programs, or other DNS, to convert domain names into IP addresses. When a web address is typed into a browser, the browser's first step is to convert the domain name into an IP address so that the browser can find the computer where the web page is located. To do this, the browser has a conversation with a DNS, which in turn may contact other DNS, all of which are part of the worldwide DNS System. In DNS terminology, a domain name is said to be 'delegated' to an IP address. Although DNS is simply a generic term for a name server, it is often also used to refer to the DNS System as a whole, or to a specific DNS (ie. the .nz DNS is often just called 'the DNS').