What is a Domain Name Server (DNS)?
Domain name server (DNS) is one of the common jargon words you will encounter when you are working online. The domain name server definition is easy to understand. While you may think that this DNS stuff is tough to grasp, you should be able to get it if you spend a little time researching the basics. Start with the basics of the servers. There are six DNS servers throughout the world. Regardless of the hosting system you use, these servers will be the routing mechanism to get people to your site. That is fine, you may think, but just what is DNS anyway? The DNS server address is the IP address, or location on the Internet, where your site is located. Your computer uses a DNS query to determine the location of the website or computer in question.
Finding a Domain Name Server to Use
As a website owner, you can use a number of DNS tools to make changes to your website. Free DNS programs are out there, and they allow you to use their servers to host your own site. These free DNS sites also have complex DNS service options available if you are willing to pay for them. The companies simply register a domain name server with the big DNS servers and then make them accessible to others so that people and companies can host their own sites. Another option available to you as the website owner is Open DNS. Like all open-source projects online, people are free to come in and make some tweaks. This system is free to use and does not require any software or anything special on your end. You will be able to use it and never worry about paying for using the DNS server.
DNS Cache
One of the biggest problems that the average Internet user will have that have anything to do with DNS is a problem with the DNS cache. As in other computer areas, cache is the place where information is stored. For DNS, this stored information tells your computer where to ping to get a certain site. The problem is that when you move your site to a new domain name server, you may find that that you need to flush DNS from your computer so that you can have the redirected DNS location. If you cannot clear DNS cache, you should be able to visit tech forums to find out how to do it on your specific operating system.