DNS Lookup and Record Check

DNS stands for the Domain Name System. The system is responsible for translating a hostname (sas.com.ru) into a computer-friendly IP address.

When an end user enters a domain or URL into their browser, DNS servers process the request and convert it into the corresponding IP address to help browsers load the appropriate results.

Think of DNS lookup as a map or phone book that helps you find the corresponding search query for better understanding.

You all know that we need the correct address to get to a particular destination. The same applies to the internet. All smart devices, phones, laptops, tablets, TVs, etc., exchange data over the Internet using a series of numbers called IP addresses. DNS servers spare people from having to remember complex numeric IP addresses. DNS resolution involves translating a human-friendly domain name into a computer-friendly IP address. DNS servers take on the entire responsibility of delivering the relevant results to the user.

As discussed earlier, people cannot remember long strings of numbers (IP addresses). Therefore, by simply entering a website name (www.sas.com.ru), a DNS server will provide the IP address associated with that domain.

A DNS server can either be provided by your ISP or be located within your local network. Other devices, such as routers, then refer to the translated domain (IP address) to deliver the search results.

After learning how DNS Lookup works, let’s discuss its two main types...

• Forward DNS Lookup
  

  Looking up a domain name to determine its IP address is called a forward DNS lookup. This type allows users to specify a domain name to obtain the corresponding IP addresses.

• Reverse DNS Lookup
  

  Unlike forward DNS lookup, reverse DNS lookup identifies a domain name using an IP address. Email servers use this lookup method to verify valid recipients.

What is a DNS Record?

DNS Records are mapping files that contain instructions providing the following information related to a domain:

• The IP (IPv4/IPv6) associated with this domain.
• How to handle DNS queries for this domain.

The DNS lookup tool retrieves all DNS records for a domain and displays them in a prioritized list.

Use the available parameters to perform DNS lookups on Google, Cloudflare, OpenDNS, or authoritative domain name servers. Therefore, if you change your web hosting or DNS records, these changes should be reflected immediately.

To ensure that you have set the correct DNS records for your domain, use the DNS lookup tool to check the DNS records and avoid downtime. DNS records include A, AAAA, CNAME, MX, NS, PTR, SRV, SOA, TXT, CAA, DS, DNSKEY, etc.

Select any record for lookup or choose “ALL” to retrieve all common DNS records for a domain.

Different Types of DNS Records

1. A Record: The simplest type of record, also known as an address record, which provides the IPv4 address for a domain or subdomain. This record points the domain name to an IP address.
2. AAAA Record: Maps a hostname to a 128-bit IPv6 address. For a long time, 32-bit IPv4 addresses were used to identify a computer on the Internet. However, due to the exhaustion of IPv4 addresses, IPv6 was created. The four A’s (AAAA) serve as a mnemonic indicating that IPv6 is four times larger than IPv4.
3. CNAME Record: Also known as a canonical name record, it creates an alias for one domain name. A domain or subdomain with an alias receives all the DNS records of the original domain and is commonly used to link subdomains to an existing primary domain.
4. MX Record: Also known as Mail Exchange records, it indicates which mail servers are responsible for routing email to the correct destination or mail server. For detailed analysis, use MX record lookup.
5. NS Record: Also known as name server records, it points to the name servers that are authorized to manage and publish the DNS records for that domain. These are the DNS servers authorized to handle any requests related to this domain. Use an NS Lookup Tool to dig deeper.
6. PTR Record: Also known as a pointer record, it maps an IPv4 or IPv6 address to its hostname. It provides reverse DNS lookup, also known as rDNS, by mapping an IP address to a server hostname.
7. SRV Record: Also known as a service record, it specifies which specific services a domain works with, as well as the port numbers. For some internet protocols, such as XMPP and SIP, SRV records are often required.
8. SOA Record: Also known as Start of Authority records, it provides critical information about the domain such as the primary authoritative DNS server, the domain administrator’s email address, the DNS zone serial number, etc.
9. TXT Record: Allows a website administrator to insert any arbitrary text into a DNS record.
10. CAA Record: Also known as Certification Authority Authorization record, it reflects the public policy regarding the issuance of digital certificates for the domain. If there is no CAA record for your domain, any Certificate Authority can issue an SSL certificate for it. However, by using this record, you can restrict which CA is authorized to issue digital credentials for your domain.
11. DS Record: Also known as Delegation Signer record, it consists of unique characters of your public key along with metadata such as the key tag, algorithm, digest type, and a cryptographic hash known as the digest.
12. DNSKEY Record: Also known as a DNS key record, it contains the public signing keys, such as the Zone Signing Key (ZSK) and Key Signing Key (KSK). DS and DNSKEY records are used to verify the authenticity of the DNS records returned by a DNS server.