DNS lookup
Look up the addresses and records behind any website name.
Why DNS matters
Before your browser can load a site it has to turn the name into a numeric address, and that lookup happens on every new site you visit. When it is slow, the whole internet feels slow to start, even if your download speed is great. When it is broken, sites "cannot be found" while everything else works.
Reading the records
- A / AAAA — the site’s actual addresses (classic and new-style).
- CNAME — this name is an alias for another name; the real answer is one hop away.
- MX — which servers accept email for the domain, with a priority number (lower wins).
- NS — the name servers that hold the domain’s records.
- TXT — free text, usually used to prove you own a domain or to set rules for its email.
Slow lookups at home?
Your router normally asks your provider’s DNS. If that is slow or unreliable, switching the router to a public resolver is a five-minute change that makes every site start faster. The Network Doctor in the Wifify app tests this step for you and says whether website lookups are the weak link.
Questions people ask
What is DNS?
DNS is the internet’s phone book. You type a name like example.com, and DNS turns it into the numeric address computers actually connect to. When DNS is slow or broken, websites feel slow or "cannot be found" even though your connection is fine.
What do the record types mean?
A is the site’s IPv4 address and AAAA its IPv6 address. CNAME means the name points at another name. MX lists the servers that receive its email. NS shows which name servers manage the domain. TXT holds text notes, often used to prove ownership or set email rules.
Why do I get a different answer from my friend?
Big sites answer with different addresses depending on where you are, so two people can both be right. Changes also take time to spread, so a recently updated record can show old and new answers for a while.
Which DNS service does this use?
Lookups go to a public resolver over an encrypted connection, so they are not affected by your provider’s DNS. If a site works here but not in your browser, your provider’s DNS may be the problem; switching your router’s DNS to a public resolver usually fixes it.
More free tools
Is a website down?
Check whether a website is reachable right now, and how quickly it answers.
Who owns this IP
Find the company behind any IP address or website, its network number and the country it is registered in.
What's my IP
Your public internet address, the provider it belongs to and where the internet thinks you are — instantly.
Want the full picture of your Wi-Fi?
The Wifify app checks your signal room by room, finds every device on your network, tests whether your router is set up safely, and tells you in plain words what to fix. Free, no account.