DNS Lookup (2024)

Use the DNS lookup tool to find the IP address of any domain name. The lookup results will include the IP addresses in the DNS records received from the nameservers.

How does DNS work?

The domain name system (DNS) is the resolution of a domain name to an IP address through a DNS Server. DNS can be thought of as a domain lookup, website IP checker, or IP finder, as it searches domains or websites to produce any related IP addresses. Essentially, it converts domain names to IP addresses for the user.

Typical DNS queries are sent through four different server types: the DNS resolver (also known as the recursor), the root nameserver, the TLD nameserver, and the authoritative nameserver. The domain name system recursor gets the query and communicates with other domain name system servers in order to get the correct IP address.

Once it’s located, the domain name system recursor will send the query to the three other domain name system servers. Next, the root server, designated as the Internet’s domain name system root zone, responds to requests sent in the root zone. A list of authoritative nameservers that correspond with TLDs gets sent back as a response.

The TLD nameserver will then store the second-level domain IP address and release the website’s IP address. The query gets sent to the domain’s nameserver. Finally, the authoritative nameserver can respond to the original domain name system query.

What is DNS lookup used for?

DNS record lookups are used for translating IP addresses and domain names. With the DNS lookup tool, users can find the IP address of a domain name and other information related to domains.

Users can also perform a reverse DNS lookup. This uses pointer records to query an IP address in order to find a hostname. It essentially finds the "name" of IP addresses. Note that some IP addresses will not return a domain name if there are multiple domains associated with a given IP address. Do a reverse IP lookup to check DNS and find your IP's domain. If you want to find your own IP, the WhatIsMyIP homepage shows you your IP along with all the related IP details.

Overview of the forward DNS lookup process

The forward lookup, or simple DNS lookup, is the most commonly used approach to DNS. The forward approach to DNS is simply finding out the IP address of a domain.

People tend to find it difficult to remember long strings of numbers. Instead, it's easier to remember a domain name that uses words,like 'google.com' rather than '8.8.4.4.'

However, electronic devices use streams of 1s and 0s to communicate. The only way for one computer to communicate with another is by unique identification. The method of identification used on the Internet is IP addresses.

Here are the simple steps for DNS resolution:

  1. A user enters a domain name into their Internet browser, like www.whatismyip.com.
  2. The computer sends the domain name as a DNS request to the user's Internet Service Provider (ISP).
  3. The ISP determines if it has the IP address associated with that name.
  4. If it does not, the ISP forwards the request to other providers in an effort to lookup DNS records that contains the data.
  5. Once the record is found, the IP address of the domain is returned to the user.
  6. Now, the user's computer can communicate directly with the server.

How to perform a DNS lookup

To use the DNS lookup command, enter the domain URL into the DNS lookup tool above and select Lookup or press Enter. The DNS tracker will return the IPv4 address records for a domain in a domain lookup.

You can also use the nslookup command to check nameservers for domains rather than using the full DNS lookup command. Furthermore, you can use the DNS checker above to perform a DNS lookup in-site.

To do a DNS lookup in a Windows computer, go to Start, then Run, and type command to open the command prompt.Type nslookup and hit Enter. Your search will bring back information about your local DNS default server and IP address.

If you're using a Mac computer,go to the Finder menu in the upper right corner and click Go. Find Utilities, then select Terminal. In the box that pops up, type nslookup followed by the IP address or domain you want to query, and then hit Enter. Your search will return the DNS server and IP address of the information you entered.

If you want to know how to look up a domain to find the owner, use a WHOIS Domain Lookup or theWHOIS IP Lookup tool once you have a domain's IP address. The WHOIS lookup works to check domain owners and identifies the owners of various IP addresses.

DNS Lookup (2024)

FAQs

How do I check DNS server responses? ›

There are two primary ways you can test DNS server response time: through a ping test or a dig test.

Why is DNS lookup taking so long? ›

DNS lookup time depends on Internet connectivity, latency from servers, configuration particulars, and DNS server performance. To troubleshoot slow DNS, use network latency tools (e.g., ping and traceroute) and DNS performance testing tools (e.g., dig and DNSPerf).

Why would a DNS lookup fail? ›

Typically, DNS errors are caused by problems on the user end, whether that's with a network or internet connection, misconfigured DNS settings, or an outdated browser. They can also be attributed to a temporary server outage that renders the DNS unavailable.

Is 1.1 1.1 still the fastest DNS? ›

The independent DNS monitor DNSPerf ranks 1.1. 1.1 the fastest DNS service in the world. Since nearly everything you do on the Internet starts with a DNS request, choosing the fastest DNS directory across all your devices will accelerate almost everything you do online.

What are DNS responses? ›

DNS responses, in the case of a recursive DNS query, come directly from the DNS server that received our initial DNS query, while in the case of a non-recursive DNS query, the response arrives from the last DNS server the client (PC) queries in order to get the required DNS information.

How long does DNS lookup take? ›

The average DNS lookup time is between 20 and 120 milliseconds. Anything between that and under is generally considered very good.

How do I refresh DNS lookup? ›

Clear DNS cache with Command Prompt
  1. Open CMD.
  2. In the command line, type the following: ipconfig /flushdns.
  3. Press Enter.
  4. If the process is successful, a confirmation message will appear in your Command Prompt console.

How do I check my DNS fast? ›

Using namebench

namebench is a tool to find the fastest DNS server relative to the current client. In fact, namebench tests the name servers that we're currently using, plus some popular global DNS services. Moreover, the result suggests some additional name servers for us.

What is DNS lookup limit? ›

The SPF specification limits the number of DNS lookups to 10. This limit helps reduce the amount of resources used by mailbox providers when checking SPF records. If you exceed this limit, you will fail an SPF check.

How do I know if my DNS is failing? ›

The simplest DNS problem to diagnose is an issue with your current server. Try the same websites on a connection using another DNS server, and if they're now accessible and work correctly, it looks like you have a DNS issue.

What does DNS lookup tell you? ›

A DNS lookup, or DNS record lookup, is the process through which human-readable domain names (www.digicert.com) are translated into a computer-readable IP address (216.168. 246.55). A DNS lookup is the query journey initiated each time you enter a URL into your web browser's address bar.

What is the main problem of DNS? ›

The most common symptom of a DNS issue is slow or poor internet connection speeds. This can manifest as slower page loads, streaming video buffering or even failing to connect entirely. Other potential symptoms could be websites not loading properly or displaying content incorrectly or incompletely.

Can I use 1.1 1.1 and 8.8 8.8 at the same time? ›

Use the plus (+) button under DNS Servers to enter the addresses of your liking. For example, you can use 1.1. 1.1 for the first server and 8.8. 8.8 for the second one.

Is 8.8 8.8 safe? ›

Both the Google DNS servers, though public, are safe to use. They don't provide any additional blocking or filtering; however, they are secure.

Why is 1.1 1.1 blocked? ›

1.1 is blocked on many networks and by multiple ISPs because the simplicity of the address means that it was previously often used inappropriately for testing purposes and not legitimate use.

How do I check my DNS records? ›

Checking DNS records using the command line

The most efficient way to check DNS records of the domain is to use a terminal with the command nslookup. This command will run on almost all operating systems (Windows, Linux, and macOS).

How do I find DNS responses in Wireshark? ›

To analyze DNS response traffic:
  1. In the top Wireshark packet list pane, select the next DNS packet, labeled Standard query response CNAME wikiversity....
  2. Observe the packet details in the middle Wireshark packet details pane. ...
  3. Expand Ethernet II to view Ethernet details.
  4. Observe the Destination and Source fields.
Nov 19, 2023

What is the command to check DNS resolution? ›

The nslookup command is helpful in diagnosing issues with DNS name resolution. This command is comparable to Mac or Linux's dig function. It can find the IP address of a host or perform a reverse DNS lookup (to find the domain name of an IP). Nslookup can also provide information on DNS records for your domain.

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