Which protocol is used to translate domain names to IP addresses?

Which protocol is used to translate domain names to IP addresses?

• A. FTP
• B. SMTP
• C. SSH
• D. DNS

Answer: (D)

DNS, the Domain Name System, is what translates human-friendly domain names into IP addresses. Computers need IPs to reach services, but people remember names like example.com, not numeric addresses. When you look up a domain, your device asks a DNS resolver. If the answer isn’t cached, the resolver queries a hierarchy: root servers, then the appropriate top-level domain servers, and finally the domain’s authoritative servers until it gets the IP. That IP is returned to your device so it can establish the connection. DNS primarily uses UDP on port 53 for queries, with TCP used for reliable transfers or large responses. Other protocols serve different purposes: FTP is for transferring files, SMTP handles email transport, and SSH provides secure remote login. They don’t translate domain names to IP addresses like DNS does.

DNS, the Domain Name System, is what translates human-friendly domain names into IP addresses. Computers need IPs to reach services, but people remember names like example.com, not numeric addresses. When you look up a domain, your device asks a DNS resolver. If the answer isn’t cached, the resolver queries a hierarchy: root servers, then the appropriate top-level domain servers, and finally the domain’s authoritative servers until it gets the IP. That IP is returned to your device so it can establish the connection. DNS primarily uses UDP on port 53 for queries, with TCP used for reliable transfers or large responses.

Other protocols serve different purposes: FTP is for transferring files, SMTP handles email transport, and SSH provides secure remote login. They don’t translate domain names to IP addresses like DNS does.