With websites, you often hear other terms thrown around, like “hosting” and “domains.” But one of the most important pieces of that puzzle that only sometimes gets center stage is DNS (Domain Name System) management.
Yet, without it, our internet experience would look very different—browsing websites by their IP addresses, for one! I mean imagine every time you wanted to visit a website, you’d need to type its IP address into your browser. That would be tedious and unrealistic for the average internet user!
So, what is DNS management, and why does it make a difference in web hosting? Let’s break it down.
What is DNS Management, Exactly?
DNS hosting is the system that translates human-friendly domain names—such as
“example.com”—into machine-friendly IP addresses, such as “192.168.1.1.”
You can think of it as the phonebook of the internet. You don’t have to memorize some long numbers to access a website; all you need to know is the domain name, and DNS will do the rest.
Why is DNS Important in Web Hosting?
Now, when you host a website, the hosting provider assigns you an IP address, pointing to your site’s server, and that’s when DNS management becomes important. DNS management allows you to control how your domain name points to that IP address and communicates with other services, like email or subdomains.
For example, say you own a domain like example.com. Through DNS management, you can:
- Point example.com to your website’s server.
- Create subdomains like shop.example.com or blog.example.com and direct them to different sections of your site or even different servers.
- Set up email records (MX records) so emails sent to [email protected] get routed to your email provider.
What are Different DNS Records?
To understand how DNS works, it helps to be familiar with different DNS records, which act as rules that tell your domain what to do.
- A Record: As the most common record, it associates a domain name with an IPv4 address. For example, example.com might point to 192.168.1.1, which is your website’s home on the web.
- AAAA Record: It associates a domain name with an IPv6 address.
- CNAME Record: This allows you to alias one domain to another. Say you want blog.example.com to point to example.wordpress.com. You’d use a CNAME record to make that connection.
- MX Record: This tells your domain where to deliver emails. If you’re using a third-party email provider like Gmail, you’ll need to set your MX record to direct emails to their servers.
- TXT Record: This record is mostly used for verification purposes. It’s how you prove ownership of your domain when connecting to third-party services or adding security features like SPF (to protect against email spoofing).
- NS Record: Short for “Name Server” record, this one indicates which DNS servers are authoritative for your domain. When someone tries to access your site, the NS record tells them which DNS servers hold the correct information to get them there.
- TTL (Time to Live): Each DNS record has a TTL, which dictates how long that information should be cached (saved) by other servers. Shorter TTLs mean changes to your DNS settings propagate faster across the internet, while longer TTLs reduce the load on your DNS server.
Why is DNS Management So Important?
Maintain Website Availability and Accessibility
The main job of DNS management is to ensure that your website is available and reachable. Misconfigured DNS settings mean that visitors won’t be able to find your site, regardless of how good your server or website is.
One small mistake in either an A record or an NS record can introduce downtime, which is very bad in terms of user experience and, most importantly, for your business.
Offer Flexibility for Changes
In time, you might want to change hosting services, email services, or even set up a new subdomain. Managing DNS lets such transitions go as smooth as silk.
If you’re moving to another web host, for example, you’d simply update your A record to point to the new server’s IP, and your visitors don’t even notice that anything has happened (assuming everything is done properly).
Keep Your Website Secure
Good DNS management will go a long way in protecting your site and its users. Poorly configured DNS introduces avenues of vulnerability for hacking, including DNS spoofing or hijacking, where traffic intended for your site is eventually channeled to a malicious one.
Having your DNS settings updated regularly, plus other security features such as DNSSEC, adds an additional layer of protection.
Control Over Email and Other Services
If your domain also handles email, which is often the case, DNS management becomes highly relevant. MX records determine where emails sent to your domain get delivered. If the MX records are not set correctly, emails will be either bounced or never actually reach their destination.
Similarly, TXT records enable you to verify your domain with third-party services such as Google Workspace or Microsoft 365—a must for running a modern online business.
Last Thoughts: What are DNS Management Best Practices?
- Choose a provider with a good reputation as a DNS manager and a global network of servers.
- Regularly check your DNS records for errors or changes.
- Use DNSSEC because it adds a layer of security to DNS by verifying the authenticity of DNS records.
- In case of DNS issues, have a backup plan in place, such as using a secondary DNS provider.
To wrap up, we get that DNS management isn’t the most glamorous part of running a website, but it’s essential. Without it, your site wouldn’t be accessible, your emails wouldn’t go through, and many services you rely on would fall apart.
FAQs
What does DNS management do?
DNS management is like a phonebook for the internet. It helps computers find each other by translating website addresses (like example.com) into numbers that computers can understand.
How do I set up DNS management?
You can set up DNS management through your domain registrar (the company where you bought your website address) or your internet service provider (ISP).
- Check Your Domain Registrar: Most domain registrars have a control panel where you can manage your DNS settings.
- Contact Your ISP: If your domain registrar doesn’t offer DNS management, you can usually set it up through your ISP. They’ll provide you with the necessary information.