What is the purpose of the Domain Name System (DNS)?

The Domain Name System (DNS) serves the critical function of translating human-readable domain names into IP addresses. This process is essential for the functioning of the internet since humans tend to remember domain names more easily than numerical IP addresses (e.g., www.example.com versus 192.0.2.1). When a user enters a domain name in a web browser, the DNS takes that name and looks up the corresponding IP address, allowing the user's device to locate and connect to the appropriate server hosting the website or service.

This conversion process is foundational for enabling seamless navigation on the internet. Without DNS, users would need to memorize the numerical addresses of every website they wish to visit, which would be impractical and cumbersome. The design of DNS allows for a more user-friendly experience on the web, making it one of the cornerstones of internet functionality.

While improving network speeds and securing communications are important aspects of telecommunications, they do not pertain specifically to the core purpose of DNS. The primary and most significant role of DNS is indeed the translation of domain names into IP addresses, facilitating user access to internet resources.