What's the difference between an authoritative DNS server and a recursive DNS resolver?īoth concepts refer to servers (groups of servers) that are integral to the DNS infrastructure, but each performs a different role and lives in different locations inside the pipeline of a DNS query. If the authoritative name server has access to the requested record, it will return the IP address for the requested hostname back to the DNS Recursor (the librarian) that made the initial request. The authoritative nameserver is the last stop in the nameserver query. Authoritative nameserver - This final nameserver can be thought of as a dictionary on a rack of books, in which a specific name can be translated into its definition.This nameserver is the next step in the search for a specific IP address, and it hosts the last portion of a hostname (In, the TLD server is “com”). TLD nameserver - The top level domain server ( TLD) can be thought of as a specific rack of books in a library.It can be thought of like an index in a library that points to different racks of books - typically it serves as a reference to other more specific locations. Root nameserver - The root server is the first step in translating (resolving) human readable host names into IP addresses.Typically the recursor is then responsible for making additional requests in order to satisfy the client’s DNS query. The DNS recursor is a server designed to receive queries from client machines through applications such as web browsers. DNS recursor - The recursor can be thought of as a librarian who is asked to go find a particular book somewhere in a library.There are 4 DNS servers involved in loading a webpage: For the web browser, the DNS lookup occurs 'behind the scenes' and requires no interaction from the user’s computer apart from the initial request. In order to understand the process behind the DNS resolution, it’s important to learn about the different hardware components a DNS query must pass between.

When a user wants to load a webpage, a translation must occur between what a user types into their web browser () and the machine-friendly address necessary to locate the webpage. An IP address is given to each device on the Internet, and that address is necessary to find the appropriate Internet device - like a street address is used to find a particular home. The process of DNS resolution involves converting a hostname (such as into a computer-friendly IP address (such as 192.168.1.1). DNS servers eliminate the need for humans to memorize IP addresses such as 192.168.1.1 (in IPv4), or more complex newer alphanumeric IP addresses such as 2400:cb00:2048:1::c629:d7a2 (in IPv6). DNS translates domain names to IP addresses so browsers can load Internet resources.Įach device connected to the Internet has a unique IP address which other machines use to find the device. Web browsers interact through Internet Protocol (IP) addresses. Humans access information online through domain names, like or. The Domain Name System (DNS) is the phonebook of the Internet. Secure endpoints for your remote workforce by deploying our client with your MDM vendorsĮnhance on-demand DDoS protection with unified network-layer security & observabilityĬonnect to Cloudflare using your existing WAN or SD-WAN infrastructure Get frictionless authentication across provider types with our identity partnershipsĮxtend your network to Cloudflare over secure, high-performing links Integrate device posture signals from endpoint security programs We work with partners to provide network, storage, & power for faster, safer delivery We partner with leading cyber insurers & incident response providers to reduce cyber risk We partner with an alliance of providers committed to reducing data transfer fees Use insights to tune Cloudflare & provide the best experience for your end users Apply to become a technology partner to facilitate & drive our innovative technologies

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