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DNS – The Foundation of your Internet Presence

I’ve been in the DNS and Domain name business for almost 20 years now and explaining what DNS is and how important it is has always been a struggle. As critical as DNS is, it’s an underlying Internet technology that not many people pay too much attention to – until it’s not working.

During all those years in my career I’ve struggled for a quick and simple way to explain what DNS is and it’s importance in the chain of Internet technology. This graphic above really sums up the importance of DNS and how it acts as the foundation of your online presence.

Sit back and think about your Internet presence as a house or building that contains your web server, email servers, FTP server, API, VOIP Phone system etc. This house of yours relies on two things; your domain name and DNS before any other service can be setup.

Your domain name is just like the plot of land you build on – without your parcel of land, you have nowhere to build. The domain name must be registered and in good standing (Not expired) before anything will work. Once you have your domain name, you can start to build the foundation before you can build your house. If your foundation is weak and unreliable, your house can crumble to the ground. This foundation is your DNS – a reliable way of answering queries to your domain name and pointing visitors to your online resources such as your web server, etc. Without a strong DNS service as your foundation, you risk loosing the house and all it’s contents.

There are many other analogies that can be used to explain DNS but the true moral of the story is don’t skimp on the foundation when building your Internet house…