What is DNS?
Sure! Imagine you’re at a huge library, filled with books on every topic imaginable. Now, let’s say you want to find a specific book called “The History of Dinosaurs.” Instead of wandering aimlessly through the shelves, you approach the friendly librarian and ask for assistance. The librarian, like a magical translator, takes your request and converts it into a location code or call number. They then guide you to the exact shelf where the book is located.
In the world of the internet, the Domain Name System (DNS) works similarly. It’s like a vast directory or librarian for the internet. When you type a website name, like “www.example.com,” into your web browser, the DNS system springs into action. It takes that easy-to-remember name and translates it into a unique address called an IP address, which is like the call number for the website’s location on the internet… (See how the internet works).
So, just as the librarian helps you find the right book, DNS ensures that when you want to visit a website or send an email, your request reaches the correct destination by translating human-friendly names into computer-friendly addresses. It’s like the secret language that connects us to the vast information world of the internet, making browsing the web as easy as finding a book in a library! (thanks ChatGPT 😛 )
My choice for DNS
I have been using Namecheap for DNS for many years, I have had 0 problems and find their prices to be fair and acceptable. Some DNS providers will charge very high fees, just because they don’t expect people to shop around or even know really what DNS is.
I would recommend namecheap for people looking for a new DNS provider.
Regarding choosing a TLD (top level domain, the last part of a URL, ie com net etc), I generally try to go with .com if possible, or .net for non commercial domains. Sometimes some of the unusual TLDs aren’t even recognised by some internet forms, making them a pain to use for email for example.