What Is DNS for Free WordPress Hosting?
DNS (Domain Name System) is a network technology that allows users to access web content without having to type in IP addresses. This is quite useful when trying to reach a destination that is not on the same network as the person accessing the site. For example, if you are on a local network and try to reach a site on the internet, your computer will need to look up the IP address of that site in order to get it to load successfully. This is a very time-consuming process and can take several minutes depending on how many results your search engine turns up. DNS allows you to type in a domain name and have your computer automatically connect you to the right IP address so that you can access the site just like you would if it was physically located on your local network.
Why Should You Care About DNS?
DNS is quite useful when it comes to reaching sites that are not on the same network as your computer. If you are using an Android phone, you can attest to how much easier it is to use the Google Play Store without having to remember all the IP addresses for the sites that you want to access. The number of potential applications for DNS are endless. It can be used to access sites on other networks or the internet, as well as allow you to access online products that are only available on the other side of the country. Basically, DNS is beneficial to all computer users when trying to access content that is not physically located on their local network.
DNS For Free WordPress Hosting
DNS is quite useful when it comes to reaching sites that are not on the same network as your computer. If you are using a Free WordPress Hosting service, you can install the DNS Manager from your dashboard to make it even easier to manage your DNS settings. Once you have it installed, taking care of your DNS settings is as easy as adding new A records or creating new CNAMEs (Alias Records).
To add a new A record (IP address) to your DNS, click on the Add New button in the top right corner of the dashboard. In the window that pops up, give the host (the web address that you want to point to) a name (e.g. google.com) and the IP address of the host in the form of 123.45.67.89. Once you enter this information, click on the blue button next to Save Changes.
To create a CNAME record (Alias), click on the Alias button in the top right corner of the screen. In the window that pops up, give the host (the web address that you want to point to) a name (e.g. google.com) and the name of the website (e.g. blog.google.com) that you want to use the alias for. Type in the URL for the website (blog.google.com) that you are creating the alias for in the box that says Alias www to make sure that it points to the right place. When you are finished creating the alias, click on the blue button next to Save Changes.
To verify that everything is working correctly, go to the DNS Manager and click on the Status button to the right of the Search bar. This will display a short list of entries that match your query. If you are unable to access any of the websites that you queried, it would be a good idea to change the A records or the CNAMEs for those domains.
If everything worked correctly, you should be able to successfully reach the websites that you queried. If you are still having trouble, it’s a good idea to contact the support team for your hosting service to see if they can help you out.