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Strona główna Forward DNS

Forward DNS

(also forward DNS request, forward DNS lookup)

What is forward DNS?

Forward DNS is the process of turning a domain name into its corresponding IP address. When you type a website name into your browser, forward DNS helps your device find the server that hosts that site. Without this process, users would need to remember numerical IP addresses instead of simple domain names.

See also: DNS cache, DNS filtering, DNS flushing, DNS hijacking, DNS over HTTPS, DNS port, DNS query, DNS record, DNS redirection, DNS resolution, DNS sinkhole

Forward DNS vs. DNS forwarding

Forward DNS and DNS forwarding sound similar but serve different purposes.

  • Forward DNS
    Maps a domain name to an IP address so your device knows where to connect.
  • DNS forwarding
    Happens when a DNS server passes your query to another DNS server instead of resolving it directly. This is often done to improve performance, apply filtering rules, or manage internal and external traffic differently.

Keeping these concepts separate makes it easier to understand how DNS works and why some networks use forwarding as part of their setup.

How forward DNS requests work

Forward DNS follows a predictable sequence each time you try to visit a website:

  1. 1.You enter a domain name like example.com into your browser.
  2. 2.Your device checks its DNS cache to see if it already knows the IP address.
  3. 3.If not found, the device sends a DNS query to a DNS resolver (commonly your ISP’s resolver or a public DNS service).
  4. 4.The resolver looks up the domain by contacting DNS servers on the internet if needed.
  5. 5.Once the lookup is complete, the resolver returns the IP address — for example, 93.184.216.34.
  6. 6.Your device uses that IP address to connect to the website’s server.

This process happens quickly in the background, allowing you to reach websites without ever seeing the underlying IPs.

What are the benefits of forward DNS?

Forward DNS provides several advantages that make everyday internet use possible:

  • Human-friendly navigation: Users can rely on readable names instead of long numerical addresses.
  • Consistent website access: Even if a server’s IP address changes, DNS updates allow users to continue using the same domain name.
  • Better organization of online services: Companies can host different services (web, mail, APIs) under structured domain names.
  • Easier troubleshooting: DNS lookups provide a clear trail for diagnosing connectivity issues.
  • Universal compatibility: All internet-connected devices use forward DNS as part of basic communication.

Why use DNS forwarding for external addresses?

DNS forwarding for external addresses helps improve efficiency and speed by directing unresolved DNS queries to external DNS servers, reducing the workload on the internal server. It also allows better management of DNS traffic, optimizes query resolution times, and enables filtering or logging of external requests for security purposes.

DNS forwarding for internal addresses

DNS forwarding for internal addresses allows an organization to route DNS queries for internal resources to specific internal DNS servers. This improves network efficiency by ensuring that internal queries are handled locally, reduces the load on external servers, and enhances security by keeping internal address resolutions within the organization's network. It also helps in managing internal domains and resources more effectively.