NetworkingBeginner
DNS (Domain Name System)
The internet's phonebook — it translates human-readable domain names like example.com into the numeric IP addresses computers use to connect.
Full Definition
The Domain Name System (DNS) is a hierarchical, distributed naming system that maps human-readable hostnames (like proxygraphy.com) to machine-readable IP addresses (like 104.21.88.12). When you type a URL, your device queries a DNS resolver, which walks the DNS tree — from root servers to TLD servers to authoritative name servers — to find the correct IP. From a proxy perspective, DNS resolution should always happen through the proxy (or a trusted resolver) to prevent DNS leaks that would expose your real location. Many proxy protocols route DNS through the proxy server automatically.
