DNS is short for Domain Name System. It is generally referred to as the phonebook of the Internet. Every website that is active on the World Wide Web has an IP address. The IP address is generally four sets of digits separated by dots. It would be hard for anyone to remember any website by the IP address.
Why Do You Need DNS?
The presence of DNS Server makes things easy for us. If you want to visit the NY Times website, all you have to type is nytimes.com in the URL bar, and the server does the rest. A domain name server cannot understand letters. The DNS’ function is to convert the domain name into IP addresses, which the domain name server understands. The DNS server uses the IP address to find the server that hosts the website and establish a connection between your computer and the destination server.
The world of the Internet is so fast that it is hard to imagine the number of things that happen in microseconds. A DNS checker plays a vital role in the world of the Internet. Here we have tried to explain what a DNS propagation checker does.
What Is a DNS Propagation Checker?
A DNS propagation checker is a useful service that allows you to check domain name service records in a randomly listed DNS server. When you type a domain name like abc.com, the DNS propagation checker will list all the servers and the current IP address of abc.com on all servers.
The DNS checker shows which server is active and holding your DNS records and which don’t have your domain names in DNS records. The DNS propagation is used to find the current state of results around the world. It can help you discover if any users in a particular region/country are facing problems accessing your website due to issues with Domain Names Server.
The DNS servers generally store a cache of popular websites. If you have updated your website recently, the updated website will not be available to all the servers. In some regions, the DNS server will continue to show cached websites until TTL expires.
Different Kinds of DNS Checks
DNS Propagation checker allows you to check different record types related to domain names. Here is the list.
- A is the most common type of DNS checks that give you the IP address of the website.
- CNAME refers to Canonical name and points to other DNS records. A Canonical name can be a real domain name that you type in the address bar. It might include information about a top-level domain followed by the actual domain name. For example, the DNS lookup of CNAME of NYTimes.com will give you a result like prd.nytimes.com.
Why Do You Need a Good DNS Propagation Checker?
Today most businesses rely on their website for lead generation. Companies offering services globally need to ensure their website is accessible by customers across the world. The Domain Name Server is an essential link between your website and the customer.
When a customer types your domain name, the closest Domain Name Servers checks its database for your domain name’s current IP address and shares it with your computer. The browser uses the DNS lookup information to load the website. If a DNS server in a particular region does not hold your DNS address information, ISPs and users relying on that specific DNS server won’t be able to reach your website. It can cause a considerable revenue loss to businesses.
What Information Does DNS Propagation Checker Present?
A DNS propagation checker provides a wide variety of information that can be useful for website administrators. Here is the list of information presented by DNS checks.
DNS checker lists all critical servers across the world. When you type a domain name in the search box, it tells which DNS servers store your current IP address. A green tick indicates the DNS servers which hold your information about your current IP address. In contrast, a red cross indicates the DNS server which does not have your DNS information.
It will give you an idea about the state of global accessibility of your website. The DNS checks also provide the name of the authoritative server which hosts your website. In most cases, all DNS servers storing your DNS address should point towards one authoritative nameserver.
A TXT search for a domain name in the DNS propagation checker tool will also give you information about the SPF record part of Domain Names. The SPF record lists all IP addresses that are allowed to send mail on behalf of your domain.
To sum up, the DNS propagation checker is a useful tool to know the accessibility of your website globally.