What is a DNS Resolver?
DNS resolvers are an essential component of the Domain Name System (DNS). They act as the querying counterpart to the responding DNS nameservers. From the user’s point of view, a DNS resolver serves as an interface between the user or application and the nameservers.
What is a DNS Resolver?
A Domain Name System (DNS) resolver, more commonly referred to as a “DNS lookup” tool, resolves an individual hostname to an IP address. This type of resolve command helps to figure out how Web services are hosted, how a domain name is supported, and how various hardware devices correspond to particular servers and vendors or to their client companies.
Why do you need it?
Every domain name on the Internet has one or more IP addresses. These addresses can change at any time, but the domain name never changes. The Domain Name System is an up-to-date index of those IP addresses. The DNS resolver is the outward-facing part of that system that receives your requests and sends you the resolution.
How does it work?
We compared the job of a DNS resolver to that of a human telephone operator. Take, for instance, when you want to reach a particular company employee but don’t know his/her direct line. You most likely dial that organization’s telephone number and ask the operator to connect you to the person you’re looking for.
If the operator has the number memorized, he/she could immediately redirect your call. If not, the operator would consult a computer containing all the employees’ phone numbers.
In the same way, a user’s web browser asks a DNS resolver for the requested website’s IP address. It will first try to check if it has the IP address in its memory. If not, the resolver contacts other DNS servers to look for the correct IP address.
Simply put, a DNS resolver “resolves” DNS queries by looking for the website domain’s equivalent IP address from other DNS servers.
What is the difference between a DNS Resolver and a DNS Server?
A DNS Resolver is a type of DNS server, but not all DNS servers are DNS Resolvers. A DNS Resolver’s main function is to accept queries from clients and perform recursive queries to locate IP addresses. In contrast, other types of DNS servers, such as authoritative DNS servers, store the actual domain name to IP address mappings and respond directly to queries from DNS Resolvers.
How can you change your device’s DNS Resolver?
To change your device’s DNS Resolver, access the network settings on your device and locate the DNS settings. On most devices, you can manually enter the IP addresses of the desired DNS Resolvers, such as Google Public DNS or OpenDNS. Be sure to save your changes and restart any active internet connections for the new settings to take effect.