DNS

DNS (the Domain Name System) is the internet's address book. When someone types a domain like hostlist.io into a browser, DNS translates that human-readable name into the numeric IP address (such as 76.76.21.21) that computers actually use to route traffic. DNS lookups happen behind the scenes on every connection: visit a page and dozens of separate DNS queries resolve for the domain, the CDN, analytics, fonts and more. A good DNS provider is fast, reliable and global; Cloudflare DNS (1.1.1.1), Google Public DNS, AWS Route 53 and Quad9 are widely used.

How it works

DNS works as a hierarchy of servers: root servers, top-level-domain servers (.com, .io), and authoritative name servers for individual domains. A resolver walks the chain to find the IP address mapped to the requested hostname, with caching at multiple layers to make repeat lookups instant.

Why it matters

Slow or unreliable DNS adds latency to every visit and can make a site appear down even when the origin is fine. Picking a fast, global DNS provider is one of the cheapest performance wins available, and DNS is also where you set up email routing, SPF/DKIM records and security policies.

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Frequently Asked Questions