When you register a domain name, you might expect your website and email to work as soon as the registration is complete. In reality, DNS plays an important role in connecting your domain to these services.
Understanding DNS can help you manage website hosting, business email and domain settings more confidently.
What Is DNS?
DNS stands for Domain Name System. It translates domain names into information that computers and internet services use to locate the correct destination.
For example, when someone visits www.yourbusiness.com.my, DNS helps their browser find the server associated with that website.
You can think of DNS as a directory for your domain. Different DNS records tell internet services where to find your website, which servers should receive your email and how certain services can verify your domain.
How Does DNS Work?
When someone enters your domain name into a browser, DNS helps the browser find the server where your website is hosted. The process generally works as follows:
- A visitor enters your domain name into a browser.
- The browser obtains the relevant DNS information, usually through a DNS resolver.
- The DNS information identifies the destination associated with the domain.
- The browser connects to the server and requests the website.
Email uses different DNS records to identify the mail servers responsible for receiving messages. This is why your website may work correctly even when your business email has problems, or vice versa.
What Are DNS Records?
DNS records are individual entries that define how your domain connects to different services. Each record type serves a particular purpose.
Here are some common examples.
- A record
An A record points a domain name to an IPv4 address. For example, it can direct www.yourbusiness.com.my to the IPv4 address of your website server. - AAAA record
An AAAA record serves a similar purpose but points to an IPv6 address instead. Your hosting provider may configure these records for you, depending on the service. - CNAME record
A CNAME record points one hostname to another hostname. It is useful when one hostname needs to follow the DNS destination of another. Under standard DNS rules, a CNAME generally cannot be used at the root of a domain alongside other record types. - MX record
An MX record identifies the mail servers responsible for receiving email for a domain. For example, if you use a business email address such as hello@yourbusiness.com.my, the MX records help other mail systems determine where to deliver messages sent to that address. Incorrect MX records can prevent incoming email from reaching the intended mail service. - TXT record
TXT records store text-based information associated with a domain. They are commonly used for domain verification and email authentication. For example, SPF policies are published in DNS using TXT records. DKIM uses DNS records to publish public keys, while DMARC policies are published as TXT records at a designated hostname. These mechanisms help receiving email systems assess whether messages claiming to come from your domain are authorized and how to handle messages that fail authentication checks.
What Is the Difference Between DNS and Web Hosting?
DNS and web hosting work together, but they perform different jobs. DNS directs visitors to the appropriate service, while web hosting stores and serves your website’s content.
For example, you can register a domain with one provider and host your website with another. You then configure the relevant DNS records to direct your domain to the hosting service.
This means you do not necessarily need to transfer your domain registration when changing web hosting providers. In many cases, updating the relevant DNS records is enough.
Why Does DNS Matter When Setting Up Business Email?
When setting up a new email hosting service, your provider will usually supply the DNS records required for its service.
Incorrect settings can prevent incoming messages from reaching the intended mail server or affect the authentication of outgoing email. Before making changes, follow your provider’s instructions and check your existing records to avoid disrupting email delivery.
What Happens When You Change DNS Settings?
DNS changes are not always reflected everywhere immediately.
After a record is updated, DNS resolvers may continue using previously cached information until it expires. How quickly a change becomes visible depends on factors such as the record’s previous time to live (TTL), caching and the type of change.
During this period, some visitors may reach the new destination while others still use the previous information.
Before making significant DNS changes, check the current records and keep a copy of the original settings. This is particularly important when migrating a website or changing email providers.
Changing nameservers is different from editing an individual DNS record. Nameservers identify the DNS service that is authoritative for your domain. Changing them can affect multiple records, especially if the existing records have not been recreated at the new DNS provider.
Who Manages Your Domain’s DNS?
DNS may be managed through your domain registrar, web hosting provider or a separate DNS service. The nameservers configured for your domain indicate which service manages its authoritative DNS records.
Make changes through the correct provider’s control panel. Updating records elsewhere may have no effect on your live website or email. If you are unsure, check your domain’s nameserver settings or contact your provider.
Summary / Conclusion
DNS connects your domain to the website and email services you use every day.
Understanding the basic record types and knowing where your DNS is managed can help you configure services correctly and avoid unnecessary disruption.
If you need help managing your domain’s DNS settings, Yeahhost offers a Managed DNS service to help you manage your DNS records and keep your domain connected to the right services.
