The Backbone of Online Presence: Why Business Owners Should Prioritize DNS Settings

DNS (Domain Name System) settings are an essential part of the internet infrastructure that allows us to browse websites, send emails, and access other online services. DNS is responsible for translating human-readable domain names into IP addresses that computers can understand.

Below, we'll discuss the different types of DNS settings, what each one does, and why they matter.

Do I Need DNS for My Website?

Viewing a website on the internet would be unattainable without DNS; much like attempting to send mail without an address.

DNS makes the internet easy to use and ensures things run smoothly. It helps us quickly get the content we want without needing to remember lots of numbers. It's a key part of how the internet works.

Without the DNS system, we'd have to remember complicated strings of numbers (IP addresses) to find what we're looking for. If DNS queries can't match the name with the right number, you can't reach the website you want.

A Record

An A record is the most common type of DNS record and maps a domain name, such as red66marketing.com, to an IP address. When you type a domain name into your web browser, it uses DNS to look up the corresponding IP address bar and then connects to that IP address to load the website.

A records are essential for website owners to ensure that their domain name is correctly linked to their web/DNS server's IP address.

AAAA Record

An AAAA record is similar to an A record, but it maps a domain name to an IPv6 address. IPv6 addresses are longer than IPv4 addresses and allow for more unique combinations, which is essential as the number of devices connected to the internet continues to grow. AAAA records are necessary for website owners to ensure that their domain name can be accessed by devices that use IPv6 addresses.

CNAME Record

A CNAME record is used to create an alias for a domain name, mapping one domain name to another domain name. For example, if you have a website with the domain name example.com, you can create a CNAME record that maps blog.example.com to the domain name of your blog platform. CNAME records are useful for website owners who want to create subdomains that point to different services or platforms.

MX Record

An MX record specifies the mail server responsible for accepting email messages for a domain name. When you send an email to someone, your email platform uses DNS to look up the MX record for the recipient's domain name and then sends the email to the specified mail server.

MX records are essential for email communication to ensure that messages are delivered to the correct mail server.

TXT Record

A TXT record is used to store arbitrary text data associated with a domain name. It can be used for a variety of purposes, such as domain verification for email services or to provide additional information about a domain name.

An example of a common TXT record we use is a Google verification TXT record to verify ownership of domain names for platforms such as Google Search Console. TXT records are essential for website owners to ensure that their domain name is correctly verified and that additional information is available to users.

DNS Settings Are Vital To Your Website's Success

As you can see, DNS settings play a crucial role in the internet infrastructure, enabling us to browse websites, send emails, and access online services. Each record serves a specific purpose and is vital for business owners to ensure the following:

• that their domain name is correctly linked to their web server's IP address
• email messages are delivered to the right mail server
• users have access to additional information

Understanding these settings is essential for businesses to effectively manage their domain name and maintain website accessibility for customers.

RED66 Marketing offers comprehensive website services, including expert management of DNS records before and after site launch. Interested in our services? Let’s talk.