Sentrly
DNS
Domain Name System — the internet's phone book, translating names like example.com to IP addresses.
Definition
DNS turns human-readable domain names (sentrly.com) into machine-readable IP addresses (203.0.113.42). Your device asks a recursive resolver, which walks the global DNS hierarchy and caches the answer. Almost every internet action starts with a DNS lookup.
By default, DNS queries are unencrypted, so anyone on your network — your ISP, your café Wi-Fi — can see every domain you visit. DNS over HTTPS (DoH) and DNS over TLS (DoT) encrypt those queries.
Example
Your browser is told to load 'sentrly.com'. It asks your DNS resolver for the IP, gets '203.0.113.42', and only then opens a TCP connection. Without DNS, you'd be typing IPs.
Frequently asked questions
Why does encrypted DNS matter?
Without it, every domain you visit is visible to your ISP, your Wi-Fi network and anyone in between.
Is changing my DNS the same as using a VPN?
No. Encrypted DNS hides which domains you look up; a VPN also hides where the traffic itself goes.