When I first learned about the Domain Name System (DNS) and how it worked, I found it hard to wrap my head around. All those name servers and back-and-forth! If you’re in the same boat and feeling a little bit confused, hopefully this short video will help.
I first explain why we need DNS in the first place (to make your life easier!), and then walk through the different parts that make up a domain name (top level domain [TLD], second level domain [SLD], subdomain and the fully-qualified domain name [FQDN]). Then I walk through a step-by-step example of everything that happens behind the scenes when you navigate to a website.
To understand the basics of IP addressing, you might find this helpful (it’s specific to AWS, but applies more broadly as well): https://youtu.be/kRDtwr1dPpw
If you’re looking for information on DNS in Amazon Web Services (AWS) specifically, check out this video for Route 53 basics: https://youtu.be/JRZiQFVWpi8
00:00 – Why we need a Domain Name System (DNS)
01:20 – The anatomy of a domain name (TLD, SLD, subdomain and FQDN)
02:15 – A step-by-step example of how DNS works behind the scenes