The Domain Name System (DNS) is a structural naming classification for computers, services, or any device connected to the Internet or private network. It basically deciphers human understandable domain names into binary identifiers associated with networking components, in order to successfully locate and address the components. In simple terms, DNS deciphers computer hostnames into IP addresses, and vice versa. This helps Internet users to easily recollect web site names instead of IP addresses.

The DNS handles the task of allocating domain names and associating them with IP addresses by assigning authoritative name servers for each domain. This sort of setup makes the Authoritative name servers accountable for the domains assigned to them, and also for assigning other authoritative name servers for the sub-domains. It also maintains a list of mail servers that are responsible for accepting email for a particular Internet domain.How to change DNS servers

A domain name comprises of two or more sections divided by dots. For example, take the web site www.topbits.com. The top level domain of this web address is .com. topbits.com is the sub-domain of the .com, and www.topbits.com is the sub-domain of topbits.com. The upper limit of such sub-domain classification is 127 levels. Another aspect of a domain name is the hostname. The hostname is a domain name that has two or more IP addresses assigned to it.

How to Change DNS Servers

DNS is maintained by a shared database system which works on the client-server model. The individual nodes of the database are known as the DNS servers or name servers. To change the DNS settings in Windows XP, perform the following steps:

  1. Click Start and then click the menu option Control Panel.
  2. The Control Panel window appears.
  3. Double-click the icon Network Connections.
  4. The Network Connections window appears.
  5. Right-click your local area connection and then click Properties.
  6. The Local Area Connection Properties window appears.
  7. Under the General tab, select the option Internet Protocol (TCP/IP) and click the button Properties.
  8. The Internet Protocol (TCP/IP) Properties window appears.
  9. In the section Use the following DNS server addresses, you can type the Preferred DNS Server and Alternate DNS Server in the space as provided.
  10. To add additional DNS servers, click the button Advanced and then click the tab DNS.

To Change the DNS settings in Windows Vista, perform the following steps:

  1. Click Start and then click Control Panel.
  2. The Control Panel window appears.
  3. Click the option Network and Internet and then click Network and Sharing Center.
  4. Click the option Manage Network Connections listed under Tasks located on the left.
  5. Right-click your local area connection and then click Properties.
  6. Under the Networking tab, select either Internet Protocol Version 4 (TCP /IPv4) or Internet Protocol Version 6 (TCP IPv6) and then click the button Properties.
  7. In the section Use the following DNS server addresses, you can type the Preferred DNS Server and Alternate DNS Server in the space as provided.
  8. To add additional DNS servers, click the button Advanced and then click the tab DNS.