DNS, or Domain Name System, is like the phonebook of the internet. It translates easy names (like example.com) into the actual numbers (IP addresses) that computers use to find each other.

How it works

When you type a website name, your computer asks the DNS system: "What's the IP for this name?" DNS servers check their records and reply with the right IP address. Your browser then connects directly to that server. Without DNS, you’d have to remember long strings of numbers for every site you visit.

Analogy

It's like looking up a friend’s phone number. You know their name, not the number. So you check a phonebook (DNS) to find the right digits, then make the call. DNS is that phonebook for the internet, turning names into numbers behind the scenes.