Which statement correctly describes a forward DNS lookup?

Which statement correctly describes a forward DNS lookup?

• A. It converts domain names to IP addresses.
• B. It converts IP addresses to domain names.
• C. It encrypts DNS queries.
• D. It caches the result locally only.

Answer: (A)

This is about how DNS translates names into addresses. In a forward DNS lookup, a domain name is used to obtain its IP address, allowing your device to reach the correct server. That’s the typical flow when you type a web address: you ask a DNS resolver for the IP associated with that domain, and the resolver returns the numeric address to connect to. The opposite concept is reverse DNS lookup, which starts with an IP address and tries to find the domain name tied to it. Encryption of DNS queries, such as DNS over TLS or DNS over HTTPS, protects the query contents but doesn’t define the basic direction of the lookup. Caching locally is a performance feature that can occur with any lookup type, not the defining aspect of forward lookups.

This is about how DNS translates names into addresses. In a forward DNS lookup, a domain name is used to obtain its IP address, allowing your device to reach the correct server. That’s the typical flow when you type a web address: you ask a DNS resolver for the IP associated with that domain, and the resolver returns the numeric address to connect to.

The opposite concept is reverse DNS lookup, which starts with an IP address and tries to find the domain name tied to it. Encryption of DNS queries, such as DNS over TLS or DNS over HTTPS, protects the query contents but doesn’t define the basic direction of the lookup. Caching locally is a performance feature that can occur with any lookup type, not the defining aspect of forward lookups.