A DNS hosting service is a service that runs
Domain Name System
The Domain Name System (DNS) is a hierarchical and distributed naming system for computers, services, and other resources in the Internet or other Internet Protocol (IP) networks. It associates various information with domain names assigned ...
(DNS) servers. Most, but not all,
domain name registrar
A domain name registrar is a company that manages the reservation of Internet domain names. A domain name registrar must be accredited by a generic top-level domain (gTLD) registry or a country code top-level domain (ccTLD) registry. A registr ...
s include DNS hosting service with registration. Free DNS hosting services also exist. Many third-party DNS hosting services provide
dynamic DNS.
DNS hosting service is optimal when the provider has multiple servers in various geographic locations that provide resilience and minimize latency for clients around the world. By operating DNS nodes closer to end users, DNS queries travel a much shorter distance, resulting in faster Web address resolution speed.
DNS can also be self-hosted by running on generic
Internet hosting service
An Internet hosting service is a service that runs servers connected to the Internet, allowing organizations and individuals to serve content or host services connected to the Internet.
A common kind of hosting is web hosting. Most hosting prov ...
s.
Free DNS
A number of sites offer free DNS hosting, either for second level domains registered with registrars which do not offer free (or sufficiently flexible) DNS service, or as third level domains (selection.somedomain.com). These services generally also offer Dynamic DNS. Free DNS typically includes facilities to manage A, MX, CNAME, TXT and NS records of the domain zone.
In many cases the free services can be upgraded with various premium services.
Free DNS service providers can also make money through sponsorship. The majority of modern free DNS services are sponsored by large providers of telecommunication services.
See also
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Domain Name System
The Domain Name System (DNS) is a hierarchical and distributed naming system for computers, services, and other resources in the Internet or other Internet Protocol (IP) networks. It associates various information with domain names assigned ...
*
Fast-flux DNS
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Remote backup service
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List of DNS record types
This list of DNS record types is an overview of resource records (RRs) permissible in zone files of the Domain Name System
The Domain Name System (DNS) is a hierarchical and distributed naming system for computers, services, and other resour ...
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List of managed DNS providers
References
Internet hosting
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