AlgoPlus//networking / dns
Read the theory

DNS Resolution

Walk the hierarchy — root → TLD → authoritative — then cache the answer.

Resolved
—
Legend
Query
Referral
Answer
AI Tutor Workspace
—
In a nutshell
DNS turns a name like www.example.com into an IP address. No server knows every name, so the lookup walks a hierarchy. Your recursive resolver asks a root server (which points to .com), the .com TLD server (which points to the domain's servers), then the authoritative server, which returns the address — and caches it for its TTL so the next lookup is instant.
Ready
Press play to begin the cinematic walkthrough.
No single server knows every name. Ask the hierarchy: the root points you at .com, .com points you at the domain's servers, and they give the final answer — then cache it so you never ask again.
Key terms
Go deeper in the lesson
Read the full theory, intuition & complexity for DNS Resolution.