{"id":22710,"date":"2026-08-29T05:26:06","date_gmt":"2026-08-29T03:26:06","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.curiaweb.ch\/?post_type=docs&#038;p=22710"},"modified":"2026-08-29T05:26:08","modified_gmt":"2026-08-29T03:26:08","password":"","slug":"dns-simply-explained","status":"publish","type":"docs","link":"https:\/\/www.curiaweb.ch\/en\/hilfe\/domains-dns\/dns-einfach-erklaert\/","title":{"rendered":"DNS simply explained: How the Domain Name System works"},"content":{"rendered":"<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The Domain Name System \u2013 short for <strong>DNS<\/strong> \u2013 belongs to the fundamental technical systems of the Internet. Among other things, it ensures that you can visit a website via an easily understandable domain name like <code>meine-firma.ch<\/code> you can access instead of having to know the IP address of the responsible server.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">DNS is therefore frequently compared to a telephone book or address directory. This comparison helps with getting started, but falls a bit short technically: DNS can not only connect domain names with IP addresses, but also provides different information for websites, email services, and other internet services.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">In this article, we explain how DNS fundamentally works, what role nameservers and DNS zones play, and what happens in the background when you visit a domain.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<blockquote class=\"wp-block-quote is-layout-flow wp-block-quote-is-layout-flow\">\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>Briefly explained:<\/strong> DNS answers queries for domain names and provides the technical information stored for them. This allows, for example, browsers to determine the responsible web server and mail servers to find the right path for emails.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Why is DNS needed at all?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Computers on the internet do not primarily communicate via domain names such as <code>meine-firma.ch<\/code>, but instead use IP addresses, among other things, to address systems in the network.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">For example, an IPv4 address can look like this:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><code>192.0.2.10<\/code><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">An IPv6 address is significantly longer and could look like this, for example:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><code>2001:db8::10<\/code><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Such addresses are significantly harder for humans to remember than domain names.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">DNS therefore creates a naming structure that can be used to query technical information about a domain.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">For example, if you <code>www.meine-firma.ch<\/code> you open in your browser, it must first be determined where this hostname technically leads.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Domain and DNS are not the same<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">A domain is the registered name, for example:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><code>meine-firma.ch<\/code><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">DNS, on the other hand, is the system through which information about this name is published and queried.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">This distinction is important: You can have a domain registered without a working website already being set up under it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">We explain the differences between domain, website, and URL in detail under <a href=\"\/en\/help\/domains-dns\/website-domain-url-difference\/\">Website, Domain, and URL: What is the difference?<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">What happens when you visit a website?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">If you have an address like:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-embed\"><div class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\">\nhttps:\/\/www.meine-firma.ch\n<\/div><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">you type into your browser, your device first has to figure out which IP address belongs to <code>www.meine-firma.ch<\/code> is responsible.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Simplified, the process works like this:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ol class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Your device or browser needs the IP address for the requested hostname.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>A DNS query is performed via a so-called resolver.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>If the answer is not already cached, the DNS hierarchy is queried until the responsible authoritative nameservers are determined.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>The authoritative nameserver returns the corresponding DNS record.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Your device receives the IP address of the web server, for example.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Only then can the actual connection to the web server be established.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">DNS does not deliver the website itself. It provides the information your device needs to find the correct destination.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<blockquote class=\"wp-block-quote is-layout-flow wp-block-quote-is-layout-flow\">\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>Important:<\/strong> DNS and webhosting are different systems. For example, a DNS server provides an IP address. The website itself is then provided by the responsible web server.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">What is a DNS resolver?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">A DNS resolver accepts DNS queries and attempts to determine the required answer.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Such resolvers are operated, for example, by internet service providers, companies, or public DNS services.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Therefore, your computer usually doesn't have to query the complete DNS hierarchy itself. It sends its request to the configured resolver.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">If this has the required answer already stored in its cache and it is still valid, it can return it directly.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Otherwise, the information must be determined via further DNS queries.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">DNS is hierarchically structured<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The Domain Name System is not a single central server where all domains of the internet are stored.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">DNS is structured hierarchically and distributed.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">For a domain like:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><code>www.meine-firma.ch<\/code><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">playing simplifies several levels play a role.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">DNS Root<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">At the top of the DNS hierarchy is the root zone.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The root name servers do not know the IP address of every website. However, they can provide information about which name servers are responsible for the respective top-level domain.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">top-level domain<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">At:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><code>meine-firma.ch<\/code><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">is <code>.ch<\/code> the top-level domain.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The responsible registry manages the corresponding TLD infrastructure and the delegations of the domains registered beneath it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">We explain what top-level domains are at <a href=\"\/en\/help\/domains-dns\/top-level-domain-tld-explained\/\">What is a top-level domain (TLD)?<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Authoritative nameservers of the domain<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Finally, it must be determined which nameservers are authoritative for the specific domain.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">These nameservers provide the DNS information for the domain.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">There, for example, it can be specified which IP address is used for the website or which mail servers accept emails for the domain.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">What does \u201eauthoritative name server\u201c mean?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">An authoritative nameserver is an authoritative source for DNS information of a domain or DNS zone for which it is responsible.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">If, for example, the DNS zone of <code>meine-firma.ch<\/code> is managed on certain nameservers, these serve the DNS records configured there.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">This distinguishes an authoritative nameserver from a recursive resolver, which determines DNS information for a client and caches it if necessary.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<blockquote class=\"wp-block-quote is-layout-flow wp-block-quote-is-layout-flow\">\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>Briefly explained:<\/strong> The resolver looks for the answer. The authoritative nameserver provides the authoritative DNS information for the zone it manages.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">What is a DNS zone?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">A DNS zone contains the DNS records managed for a specific namespace.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">For a domain like <code>meine-firma.ch<\/code> information for the website, email services, or various subdomains can be stored there, for example.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">A DNS zone can contain entries for the following names, among others:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><code>meine-firma.ch<\/code><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><code>www.meine-firma.ch<\/code><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><code>mail.meine-firma.ch<\/code><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><code>shop.meine-firma.ch<\/code><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">What information an entry contains depends on its record type.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">What DNS records exist?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">DNS can provide very different information. Different record types exist for this purpose.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Among those that are particularly important in everyday hosting are:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>A<\/strong> \u2013 maps an IPv4 address to a name<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>AAAA<\/strong> - associates an IPv6 address with a name<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>CNAME<\/strong> - maps one name to another canonical name<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>MX<\/strong> \u2013 defines mail servers for incoming emails of a domain<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>TXT<\/strong> - can contain text information and, among other things, data for email authentication<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>CAA<\/strong> - can specify which certificate authorities are allowed to issue certificates for a domain<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">We cover these record types and their practical use in detail under <a href=\"\/en\/help\/domains-dns\/dns-eintraege-a-aaaa-cname-mx-txt-caa\/\">DNS Records Explained: A, AAAA, CNAME, MX, TXT, and CAA<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">DNS doesn't just control websites<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">A common misconception is that DNS merely determines on which server a website is located.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">DNS is used for significantly more.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">For example, a domain can simultaneously:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>host a website on a web server<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Receiving emails via another mail server<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Point subdomains to other systems<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Publish information for SPF, DKIM, or DMARC<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Provide verification information for external services<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">This allows a domain's website to be hosted by one provider, while the email service technically runs on a different infrastructure.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">How does an email find the correct mail server?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">DNS also plays a central role in email communication.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">For example, if a message to:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><code>info@meine-firma.ch<\/code><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">sent, the sending mail server must find out which mail servers for <code>meine-firma.ch<\/code> are responsible.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">For this purpose, the MX records of the domain are queried in particular.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The website can therefore point to a web server via an A or AAAA record, while MX records for email reception point to a different infrastructure.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Therefore, it is technically possible for a website to function perfectly while email reception is disrupted \u2013 or vice versa.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">What role do nameservers play?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Nameservers provide DNS information. For a domain, a so-called delegation determines which authoritative nameservers are responsible for the corresponding zone.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">If you manage both your domain and hosting with the same provider, the DNS configuration is often provided via their nameservers.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">However, a domain can also remain registered with another registrar and still be used with CURIAWEB hosting.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">To this end, the DNS configuration must be set up so that the required services point to the correct infrastructure.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">How this works, we cover under <a href=\"\/en\/help\/domains-dns\/domain-bei-anderem-anbieter-mit-curiaweb-hosting-verbinden\/\">Keep domain with another registrar and connect to CURIAWEB Hosting<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Registrar and DNS provider do not have to be identical<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The registrar is the provider through which a domain is registered and managed.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">However, the authoritative name servers or the DNS zone can technically be operated by a different provider.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Likewise, web hosting and e-mail can be provided through entirely different systems.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Therefore, a possible constellation can look like this:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<pre class=\"wp-block-code\"><code>Domain registration:\nProvider A\n\nAuthoritative nameservers \/ DNS:\nProvider B\n\nWebsite:\nProvider C\n\nEmail:\nProvider D<\/code><\/pre>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">In many cases, several or all of these components are hosted by the same provider. However, this is not technically required.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">We will discuss the difference between the registry and the registrar separately under <a href=\"\/en\/help\/domains-dns\/registry-registrar-unterschied\/\">Registry and Registrar: What is the difference?<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">What happens when you change a nameserver?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">When a domain's authoritative name servers are changed, responsibility for DNS resolution of the corresponding zone is thereby delegated to a different name server infrastructure.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">This does not automatically mean that the domain itself is transferred to another registrar.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">A name server change and a domain transfer are two different processes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<blockquote class=\"wp-block-quote is-layout-flow wp-block-quote-is-layout-flow\">\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>Attention:<\/strong> Before changing nameservers, you should ensure that all required DNS records are correctly present on the new nameservers. Otherwise, services such as websites or email may no longer function as intended after the switch.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">What is a domain transfer?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">During a domain transfer, the management of a domain is transferred from one registrar to another.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">A transfer does not necessarily change the website, web server, or nameservers.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Depending on the initial configuration, the existing DNS settings or nameservers can remain unchanged during a transfer.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Therefore, before a transfer, it should always be clarified which components are actually to be changed.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Our general instructions on this can be found under <a href=\"\/en\/help\/domains-dns\/domain-transfer-to-curiaweb\/\">Domain transfer to CURIAWEB: How the transfer works<\/a> provided.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">What is DNS caching?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">DNS queries would unnecessarily burden the internet and slow down many accesses if every piece of information had to be completely re-determined with every request.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Therefore, DNS responses are cached for a certain period of time.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Such caches can be located in various places, for example in DNS resolvers, the operating system, or partially within applications.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Because of this, previously known DNS information does not need to be retrieved again through the entire DNS hierarchy with every access.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">What does TTL mean?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">DNS records have a <strong>TTL<\/strong> \u2013 Time to Live.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">It indicates, in simplified terms, how long a DNS response may be cached before it should be queried again.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">A TTL is usually given in seconds.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">A value of:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><code>3600<\/code><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">corresponds, for example, to one hour.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">When a DNS record is changed, resolvers can therefore still use the previously saved value as long as its cache entry is valid.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Why are DNS changes not immediately visible everywhere?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Due to the distributed DNS system and caching, temporarily differing responses may be observed after a change.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">One resolver might still have an older value in its cache, while another resolver has already queried the new information.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">This behavior is often in everyday life as <strong>DNS Propagation<\/strong> referred to as.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">This does not mean that a DNS change has to be distributed manually, piece by piece, to every server on the internet. Instead, it is often a matter of existing cache entries expiring and the current information being queried thereafter.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">We explain this in more detail under <a href=\"\/en\/help\/domains-dns\/dns-propagation-erklaert\/\">DNS Propagation Explained: Why Changes Can Take Time<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<blockquote class=\"wp-block-quote is-layout-flow wp-block-quote-is-layout-flow\">\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>Good to know:<\/strong> The frequently cited statement \u201eDNS always takes 24 hours\u201c is too generalized. How quickly a change becomes visible depends, among other things, on the type of change, the TTL values, and existing caches.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">What happens if a DNS record is incorrect?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The effects depend on which entry is affected.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">An incorrect A or AAAA record can, for example, cause a website to be looked up on the wrong server.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Faulty MX records can impair email reception.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Errors in TXT records can, among other things, impact email authentication or the verification of external services.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Therefore, a domain can partially function even though individual DNS records are faulty.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Why shouldn't you change DNS records on suspicion?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">DNS is a central technical foundation for various services of a domain. A supposedly small change can therefore affect the website, e-mail, or external applications.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Before making a change, you should know:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>which DNS record should be changed<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>which service uses this entry<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>what current value is stored<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>what new value is needed<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>whether other services could be affected by the change<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Special caution is advised with MX records, nameserver changes, and email-related TXT records.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Where are DNS records managed in CURIAWEB?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">If the DNS zone of your domain is managed via your CURIAWEB hosting or its nameservers, you can manage the DNS entries in cPanel via the <strong>Zone editor<\/strong> view and edit.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">We have already documented how to use the tool separately: <a href=\"\/en\/help\/web-hosting-cpanel\/dns-zoneneditor-verwenden\/\">Using the DNS Zone Editor in cPanel<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">This article, on the other hand, deliberately explains the technical basics of DNS. As a result, you not only know, <em>I<\/em> an entry is changed, but also, <em>was<\/em> what DNS actually does.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">How can I check which DNS records are currently visible?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">If you want to check which DNS information is currently being resolved for a domain, DNS queries can be used.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">This can be used, for example, to check A, AAAA, MX, TXT, or nameserver information.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">This is especially helpful after DNS changes or during troubleshooting.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">We explain how to verify such information at <a href=\"\/en\/help\/domains-dns\/dns-eintraege-pruefen\/\">Check DNS records: View current DNS configuration of a domain<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">DNS and HTTPS are different things<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">DNS ensures that your device can determine the correct destination for a domain name.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">HTTPS, on the other hand, concerns encrypted communication between the client and the web server.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Therefore, a domain can point correctly to a server via DNS and still cause a certificate warning if the HTTPS or TLS configuration is incorrect.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Conversely, a valid SSL\/TLS certificate does not resolve a faulty DNS configuration.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">DNS and email authentication<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">DNS also plays an important role in email authentication.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Techniques like SPF, DKIM and DMARC publish relevant information via DNS.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">However, they have tasks other than MX records:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>MX<\/strong> helps determine which mail servers accept e-mails for a domain.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>SPF, DKIM, and DMARC<\/strong> are used, however, for different aspects of email authentication and evaluation.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">We will cover these connections in detail under <a href=\"\/en\/help\/email-spamexperts\/spf-dkim-dmarc-hosting\/\">SPF, DKIM, and DMARC explained with CURIAWEB Hosting<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">DNS in a simple example<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Assuming you are using the domain:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><code>meine-firma.ch<\/code><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The website is to be hosted on a web server and emails are to be received via a mail infrastructure.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The DNS zone could, in simplified terms, contain information that essentially specifies:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<pre class=\"wp-block-code\"><code>meine-firma.ch\n\u2192 Web server\n\nwww.meine-firma.ch\n\u2192 Website\n\nMail for meine-firma.ch\n\u2192 Responsible mail server\n\nTXT records\n\u2192 Additional information, e.g., for email authentication<\/code><\/pre>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Which specific record types are used for this and what technical rules apply will be covered in a separate article on DNS entries.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Summary<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The <strong>Domain Name System (DNS)<\/strong> is a hierarchically structured and distributed system for providing information on domain names.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">When accessing a website, DNS helps determine the responsible server. In email traffic, MX records can specify which mail servers are responsible for a domain. Other DNS records fulfill different tasks.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Authoritative nameservers provide the definitive information for a DNS zone. Resolvers query this information and can cache answers according to their TTL.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">As a result, domain registration, nameservers, DNS, web hosting, and email are closely interconnected, but technically distinct components.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>Anyone who understands this distinction can evaluate domain transfers, nameserver changes, and DNS problems much more systematically and avoid changes that unintentionally affect other services of a domain.<\/strong><\/p>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Das Domain Name System \u2013 kurz DNS \u2013 geh\u00f6rt zu den grundlegenden technischen Systemen des Internets. Es sorgt unter anderem daf\u00fcr, dass du eine Website \u00fcber einen leicht verst\u00e4ndlichen Domainnamen wie meine-firma.ch aufrufen kannst, anstatt die IP-Adresse des zust\u00e4ndigen Servers kennen zu m\u00fcssen. DNS wird deshalb h\u00e4ufig mit einem Telefonbuch oder Adressverzeichnis verglichen. Dieser Vergleich [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"","meta":{"_joinchat":[],"footnotes":""},"doc_category":[82],"doc_tag":[],"class_list":["post-22710","docs","type-docs","status-publish","hentry","doc_category-domains-dns"],"year_month":"2026-09","word_count":2505,"total_views":"5","reactions":{"happy":"0","normal":"0","sad":"0"},"author_info":{"name":"Silvio Mazenauer","author_nicename":"admin-curia","author_url":"https:\/\/www.curiaweb.ch\/en\/author\/admin-curia\/"},"doc_category_info":[{"term_name":"Domains &amp; DNS","term_url":"https:\/\/www.curiaweb.ch\/en\/hilfe-kategorie\/domains-dns\/"}],"doc_tag_info":[],"knowledge_base_info":[],"knowledge_base_slug":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.curiaweb.ch\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/docs\/22710","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.curiaweb.ch\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/docs"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.curiaweb.ch\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/docs"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.curiaweb.ch\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.curiaweb.ch\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=22710"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/www.curiaweb.ch\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/docs\/22710\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":22712,"href":"https:\/\/www.curiaweb.ch\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/docs\/22710\/revisions\/22712"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.curiaweb.ch\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=22710"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"doc_category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.curiaweb.ch\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/doc_category?post=22710"},{"taxonomy":"doc_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.curiaweb.ch\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/doc_tag?post=22710"}],"curies":[{"name":"WP","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}