What dns record type is used to resolve a known ip address to a hostname?

DNS records are an essential part of getting websites to operate correctly. They serve as a map that tells the DNS server (or the digital database that lists every website on the internet) which domain every IP address is associated with, and how they should handle the access requests sent to them.

Various DNS record strings serve as commands on how the server should approach them, and they ensure that your site functions the way you intend it to. Although there are various types of DNS records that all perform different actions, these four record types are the most commonly used.

A records

What is an A record?

Address records, commonly known as host records, resolve IP addresses. They connect the domains you register to the correct IP address so that your website will properly resolve when someone types in your web address.

When do you use an A record?

A records are used when you want to connect a domain name you’ve registered with a hosted website. Usually, two A records are set up that will successfully point to both a bare and wildcard version of the domain (i.e. yoursite.com and http://yoursite.com). Additional A records can also be created for subdomains as well.

CNAME records

What is a CNAME record?

CNAME records, or Canonical Name Records, only resolve to domains and subdomains. Unlike A records, they cannot be bare (i.e. there needs to be www. in front of them for the URL to properly resolve).

When do you use a CNAME record?

Why would you use a CNAME record instead of an A record? Well, CNAME records are most often used when you want to direct part of your website to an external link. For example, if you wanted to set up an eCommerce site to complement your existing website, a CNAME record would be the simplest way to link them together.

MX records

What is an MX record?

MX stands for Mail Exchange and is very different from other records. Unlike most DNS records that resolve to text or the destinations of various IP addresses, MX records are used to direct emails sent to custom addresses associated with a domain name.

When do you use an MX record?

If you want to create custom email addresses through your domain name, MX records must be set up so that any emails that go to that address will be directed to the right server and get delivered to you. Typically, your email provider will give you the MX records you need, and then you’ll add it to the domain it’s associated with to finish setup.

TXT records

What is a TXT record?

As you can probably guess, a TXT record is simply a text record. Although these records cannot be used to change your domain in any way, they are useful for making it easier to search for and find your domain.

When do you use a TXT record?

Text records are most often used by services like Google. By adding certain strings of characters to your TXT file, search engines and other services are able to search for your domain as well as verify that you are the owner of the domain.

If you’re new to DNS or don’t work with it on a daily basis, all the acronyms and terms can make you feel like you’re looking at “Matrix” code. DNS record types are no exception. But don’t worry, you can go ahead and take the red pill. Think of us as your Morpheus. We’re here to help guide you through the complexities of the DNS world.

What are DNS Records?

DNS records are essentially instructions created by and stored on DNS servers in what is called a Zone File. These records provide important and relevant details about domains and hostnames. It might be helpful to think of them as business listings or directories. These “listings” help DNS servers direct queries to where they need to go.

Some of the information included in Domain Name System (DNS) records are the associated IP address, domain name, TTL (time to live), class (usually IN for internet), and type (A, AAAA, etc.). 

One example of how this could look is: www.constellix.com. 1200  IN  A  [IP address]

In the cheat sheet below, you’ll find the most common DNS record types, what they stand for, and what purpose they serve. Be sure to bookmark this page so you’ll have it for easy reference anytime you need it.
“But I can only show you the door. You’re the one that has to walk through it.” - Morpheus (Laurence Fishburne), The Matrix. 1999

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What dns record type is used to resolve a known ip address to a hostname?

DNS Record Types

A Record (address)‍

Most commonly used to map a fully qualified domain name (FQDN) to an IPv4 address and acts as a translator by converting domain names to IP addresses.

AAAA Record (quad A)  

Similar to A Records but maps to an IPv6 address (smartphones prefer IPv6, if available).

CNAME Record (Canonical Name)

An alias that points to another domain or subdomain, but never an IP address. Alias record mapping FQDN to FQDN, multiple hosts to a single location. This record is also good for when you want to change an IP address over time as it allows you to make changes without affecting user bookmarks, etc.

ANAME Record

This record type allows you to point the root of your domain to a hostname or FQDN

SOA Record (Start of Authority)‍

Stores information about domains and is used to direct how a DNS zone propagates to secondary name servers.

NS Record (name server)‍

Specifies which name servers are authoritative for a domain or subdomains (these records should not be pointed to a CNAME).

MX Record (Mail eXchange)‍

Uses mail servers to map where to deliver email for a domain (should point to a mail server name and not to an IP address).

TXT (text) Record‍

Allows administrators to add limited human and machine-readable notes and can be used for things such as email validation, site, and ownership verification, framework policies, etc., and doesn’t require specific formatting.

SRV Record (service)‍

Allows services such as instant messaging or VoIP to be directed to a separate host and port location.

PTR Record (pointer)

A reverse of A and AAAA records, which maps IP addresses to domain names. These records require domain authority and can’t exist in the same zone as other DNS record types (put in reverse zones).

SPF Record (sender policy framework)‍

Helps prevent email spoofing and limits spammers.
Note: This record type has been deprecated in favor of TXT record types and may no longer be supported by all providers. We still support modifications and deletions of SPF records currently in your Constellix account, but new configurations must be in TXT record format.


DNS RECORD TIP: Always check for typos and mistakes when entering your DNS record information, especially your IPs. The Zone Config File is a good place to check your work and spot any mistyped information.

What dns record type is used to resolve a known ip address to a hostname?

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Can DNS Resolve IP address to hostname?

Domain Name System (DNS) is a standard by which names used on the internet are resolved to their corresponding IP addresses. A DNS hostname is a name that uniquely and absolutely names a computer; it's composed of a host name and a domain name. DNS servers resolve DNS hostnames to their corresponding IP addresses.

Which DNS record holds the information of IP address to hostname?

PTR Record (pointer) A reverse of A and AAAA records, which maps IP addresses to domain names.

Which is used for resolving hostname to IP address?

You can use a hosts file or a domain name server to resolve host names and IP addresses on a stand-alone or distributed deployment.

What is DNS record type A?

What is a DNS A record? The "A" stands for "address" and this is the most fundamental type of DNS record: it indicates the IP address of a given domain. For example, if you pull the DNS records of cloudflare.com, the A record currently returns an IP address of: 104.17. 210.9.