Every time you type a URL, your computer has no idea where it is. It only speaks in IP addresses — numbers like 104.21.44.1. DNS is the system that bridges that gap.

The phone book analogy

Think of DNS like a phone book. You look up “siegb.dev” and it hands you back an IP address. The difference is this phone book is distributed across thousands of servers worldwide.

How a lookup actually works

  1. You type siegb.dev into your browser
  2. Your computer asks its local resolver (usually your ISP or router): “what’s the IP for this?”
  3. The resolver asks a root nameserver: “who handles .dev domains?”
  4. Then asks the .dev nameserver: “who handles siegb.dev?”
  5. Finally asks Cloudflare’s nameserver (since that’s where we host): “what’s the IP?”
  6. The answer comes back and your browser connects

The whole thing takes milliseconds. Results are cached so repeat visits skip most steps.