What is DNS service?

[orkut]

What is DNS service? This site (http://www.zoneedit.com/) says they offer DNS services when you get your domain name registered.

I don't get it. I plan to get my domain registered with godaddy.com and then what do I do with zoneedit which was recommended to me?

I also don't understand what they offer.

 

[Anynym]

In a nutshell, a Domain Name Service (DNS) is what "the world" uses to locate the computer that's running your website. A big directory, if you will.

First, you "buy" the rights to the name ("registering your domain"). Then you pay to put it in the directory (the DNS Service). Then you pay someone to run ("host") the website. And the price for each part can vary widely.

Many providers will bundle these services. Some people don't need all of them, but most people do.

 

[lancer_boi]

When you buy a domain only, you own a domain name only. The way our internet work is based on numeral IP's ( eg: 192.168.1.1). When you type in ,say, yahoo.ca or google.ca, your browser/application doesn't understand those hostnames. It can only understand numeral IP's. This is where the DNS service comes in use.
A DNS server takes the host and converts it to an IP and then connect to the target server.
Have a look here to better understand it.

Now to answer your question, when you buy a domain from Godaddy or any other domain provider, most of them allow you to use their dns server to make your domain point to somewhere. Zonedit is a 3rd party organization that provides you dns services for your domain in case your not too happy with Godaddy DNS servers. Earlier years, most domain registrars used to charge for providing DNS service and even if they did offer it for free, they wouldn't let you edit your DNS records with advanced editing features ( thats when you use 3rdparty providers). These days, most domain registrars offer nice gui for managing your DNS records.
Bottom line: Depending on what you are trying to do, if you are just buying a domain and gonna point to a webhosting acct, using godaddy DNS server is more than sufficient

 

[Quaggitty]

DNS Is a server('s) on the internet that act like a big address book theat resolves domain names to an IP Address. Just like a phone book, you look up the person's name and it gives you their phone number. So when you buy a domain name it kind works like the yellow pages, you own the name but you have to advertise so that people will know how to find you. (over smiplified but kind accurate)

Quag

 

[orkut]

Thanks to everyone who replied.