How Does DNS Work (Is That Vague Enough?)

[Matthew Thompson]

> OK, so somebody wants to get to www.someplace.com... they are told by one
of
> the root servers (who does the com.) that the Domain Name Server for that
> sub-domain is dns.someplace.com...

> Argh - but now how do I talk to dns.someplace.com: I haven't got it's
IP...

Yes you do - the Root server told you. When you registered the domain you
either told the registrar the Name and address of the DNS servers or the
registrar did a lookup on the name servers.

If you are registering a domain and the DNS server lies within the domain
then all registrars should ask for the IP address as well.

> What wrong with this picture?

You're forgetting that with each answer a nameserver gives back it tells you
not only the name but the IP address as well.

If you ask the root servers for www.someplace.com and they replay with

dns.someplace.com and dns.someISP.net

they'll also respond with the IP address for both.

M at t :o)