DNS and Nameservers: How Do Websites Get Found Online? 

Have you ever wondered how typing a simple website name seems to magically take you to the right place? The answer lies in the Domain Name System (DNS) and Nameservers. Getting to grips with what’s going on behind-the-scenes might seem technical. And, for sure, you don’t need to know about DNS just to get a great website up and running. That said, it’s foundational to the way we navigate the internet and, when it comes to your own website, there may be occasions when it’s necessary to make changes. 

DNS and Nameservers: The Basics

You can think of the Domain Name System (DNS) as a giant telephone directory for the web. Every server and device has an Internet Protocol (IP) address. Each website can get its own entry in the book.  

Back in the early days of the internet (we’re talking about the early 1980s) you’d need to know and manually enter this long set of numbers so as to connect — all fine for geeks and savants, but putting obvious limits on where the internet could go. 

The Domain Name System helps out by translating web addresses into IP addresses. The idea is that, when you enter a domain name (like “123-reg.co.uk”) into your browser, it then gets turned into a corresponding IP address (like “123.0.1.2”). Hey presto, you’ve connected to the correct web server. 

It all makes navigating the internet that much more fun and friendly: just enter the URL, and DNS will do the rest. DNS infrastructure makes it possible for us to choose from thousands of amazing, on-brand domain names rather than forgettable sets of numbers.  

See also: Names That Click – How to Choose the Right Domain Name   

Where DNS is the directory, Nameservers are the operators.  They connect you to the website or service you want to get through to. When you type a domain name into your browser, Nameservers go into action, translating or ‘resolving’ domain names into IP addresses. Nameservers and DNS Servers are two expressions for the same thing.  

As an example, 8.8.8.8 is the IP address for https://dns.google/ — which happens to be Google’s free tool for translating domain names into IP addresses.  

Image: DNS-Server – Author: Seobility – Licence: CC BY-SA 4.0 

Strictly speaking, not every website gets its own entry in the DNS. Multiple domain names can point to the same IP address, and there can be multiple DNS records associated with a single IP address, such as for different services hosted on the same server.

You can also still manually enter the IP address directly into your address bar to reach a website. This lets you bypass the DNS and connect directly to the web server associated with that IP address (if that’s your idea of fun). Bear in mind, though, that most major websites balance out traffic by using several IP addresses.   

DNS caching temporarily stores the mapping between domain names and their corresponding IP addresses. This speeds up future website visits because the lookup information is readily available. 

Before you go any further, remember: you really don’t need any in-depth knowledge about DNS to buy a great domain and build a website. 123 Reg handles all the technical details behind the scenes, so you can focus on creating something awesome online.  

Search from thousands of domains today

Did you know? IPv4 (Internet Protocol version 4) was the first version of IP address to catch on. The original 32-bit system made 4.3 billion unique addresses possible. But that wasn’t enough to keep up with the explosion of internet-connected devices. Later, IPv6 was released, with a 128-bit format which makes 340 trillion trillion trillion unique IP addresses possible.  

What are the DNS record types?

DNS Records are the individual pieces of data stored within the Domain Name System. They contain different kinds of info that help internet services know how to deal with your website — not least of all, where to find it. 

The good news is: you don’t usually don’t need to create or edit DNS Records yourself! Your website hosts will generally handle this all for you. However (and as we’ll get into) there may be times when you’d like to take more control of DNS Records yourself. 

There are several types of DNS Records. Among these, the most important one for website owners to know is the A record, as this is the one that maps domain name to their IP address, letting users (and browsers) know how to find it. 

The list below shows the different types of Records that make your domain name work behind the scenes. You might see these in any sort of order, but this list is hierarchical. That is: it shows the top-down way your domain name is translated into a website:

✓  NS, or the “Nameserver”, Record
✓  A (Address) Record
✓  CNAME (Canonical Name) Record
✓  MX (Mail Exchange) Record
✓  TXT (Text) Record

The Nameserver “NS” Record sits at the top and delegate authority for a domain to specific nameservers. These Records hold all the information about your domain, like where your website files are stored and how to handle emails. Without them, the rest of your website’s address lookup wouldn’t work.

When someone types in your domain name, finding your NS Records is the first step. The NS Records are therefore a bit special. It’s all the other DNS Records (MX, CNAME, TXT, etc) that actually contain specific information for your website. They live on the nameservers that Nameserver Records point to.

Your NS Records will usually point to those set by your current hosting provider. There may be times when you want to change your NS Records. This is generally a step to take when moving or “pointing” a website over to a new hosting provider.

A Records directly link domain names (or subdomains) to their IP addresses. As such, they’re essential for a website to be sure it’s reachable. A Records are the core of how users access websites, making them arguably the most important.

You usually manage your A record (along with other DNS Records) through the control panel of your domain registrar

CNAME Records are used to set up alias URLs. If you own both exampledomain.com and blog.exampledomain.com, for instance, a CNAME Records are there to point one to the other.

MX Records are all about email. They specify which mail servers handle messages for the domain. That is to say, they tell other email systems where to deliver messages, like the postbox for your email.

If you use an app like Outlook with your own domain’s email, the MX Records point to the mail servers provided by your email hosting company. If you have POP3 Email in your browser, the MX Records point to their mail servers.

Last but not least, TXT Records are there to offer extra room for information about your domain. This text-based info might range from verification codes to general notes for domain management.

TXT Records can also be used to verify you’re the rightful owner of a website. This is often a step when applying for an SSL certificate, which adds a padlock to your website and encrypts information. Before issuing an SSL certificate, Certificate Authorities (CAs) need to verify that you actually own the domain you want the certificate for — and one way to do so is to add a unique TXT record to your domain’s DNS settings.

See also: A Beginner’s Guide to Domain Names and How They Work  

Changing DNS Records

Modifying DNS Records affects how your domain name translates to an IP address. It’s fundamental to the way users reach your website.

Be careful. Changing DNS Records can lead to unexpected downtime or services becoming unreachable. It’s important to be careful when altering DNS Records, and typically you should only do so if guided by your hosting provider, IT team, or if you have a solid grasp of how DNS works.

There are times, though, when a change in DNS Records will be needed. For example, when you move your website to a new hosting company, you’ll typically need to update your A record (and sometimes other records) to point to the new server’s IP address. You need to do this to make sure visitors can still find your website at the same domain name.

Certain online services and apps, such as website security tools and content delivery networks (CDNs), may require you to add specific DNS Records. This could involve changing the CNAME Records, TXT Records, or others, depending on the service’s instructions.

Similarly, if you start using a new email provider, you’ll need to update your MX Records to direct emails to the new mail servers to keep your email flowing to the right inbox.

Most hosts offer some level of DNS management tools within their control panel — and 123 Reg is no exception. Here’s how ours looks:

Before making any changes, it’s always a good idea to have a backup of your DNS configuration. This ensures that you can revert to the previous settings if needed.

Changing records like A, MX, CNAME, TXT, usually doesn’t involve altering the nameservers themselves, because you’re simply modifying information stored on the nameservers that are already assigned to your domain. It might be necessary to unlock your domain, however, if you’re switching domain registrars.  

Domain Ownership Protection is a must-have, as it stops malicious users from hijacking your domain name or changing its details on your behalf. Learn more about Domain Ownership Protection from 123 Reg. 

What is DNS Propogation?

After changing your DNS Records, Internet Service Providers will update their records with the new information so that your changes take effect and are spread across the internet.  

Nameservers around the world store DNS Records for a certain amount of time. This is called ‘caching’. When you make a change, these cached records need to expire before being refreshed with the new information. 

Web hosts usually update their Nameservers quickly when you make a change. However, once the change is made on their end, the propagation across the wider internet is out of their control. 

The whole process can take around 48 hours, or even up to 72 hours. This all depends on your Internet Service Provider, Time to Live (TTL) settings and location.  

For instance, setting your TTL to a low value of 300 seconds will help speed up your DNS propagation. This, however, will need to be done at least 24 hours prior to the update and should be changed back to its original value once the process is complete.  

During propagation time, some users will see your changes before others do. This is perfectly natural and simply means that your changes will soon be applied.  

How can I skip DNS Propogation?

DNS propagation time is determined by the TTL (Time to Live) settings of the DNS Records. So, it can’t be avoided entirely — regardless of the DNS resolver used.

Google’s public DNS servers can provide a faster and more reliable DNS resolution for users who configure their devices to use them. However, they don’t bypass the DNS propagation process, because all the other DNS servers around the world still need to update their records.

Before changing your nameservers, reduce the Time-to-Live (TTL) value of your DNS records to a short interval (like 5 minutes). This will make other DNS servers discard the old information sooner.

If possible, consider making DNS changes gradually rather than all at once. For example, if you’re migrating a website to a new server, you could update the DNS records for certain subdomains first before updating the main domain.

After making changes, remember to clear the DNS cache on your local machine and any intermediate DNS servers that you have control over. There are several free websites you can use to check whether your DNS propagation has completed, such as:

DNS Propagation Check  
DNS Checker  
View DNS  

Be Patient. While reducing the TTL value and using faster DNS resolvers can help speed up the propagation process, it’s important to remember that DNS propagation can still take time, typically ranging from a few minutes to 48 hours. And remember: Don’t change your DNS Records too often. Doing so can slow propagation even further!

Wrap Up

Understanding the behind-the-scenes workings of DNS might seem technical, but it reveals the foundation of how we navigate the internet. Nameservers translate our friendly domain names into IP addresses, while DNS Records hold the various instructions fundamental to the way websites work.  

But remember: you really don’t need any in-depth knowledge about DNS settings to get a domain and build an amazing website. 123 Reg handles all the technical details behind the scenes, so you can focus on creating something awesome online.