What Is an IP Address?

An IP address identifies a network endpoint. DNS connects human-friendly names to IP addresses and other service data.

Key points

• A records return IPv4 addresses.
• AAAA records return IPv6 addresses.
• PTR records map IP addresses back to names.
• A domain can have more than one IP address.

Where dig fits

Dig is useful because it lets you ask DNS one precise question at a time. Instead of guessing why a website, email system, or service is failing, you can check the record type that controls that part of the setup.

Practical next step

Start with the record type that matches the symptom. Use A or AAAA for website address issues, MX and TXT for email, CNAME for provider aliases, and NS or SOA for delegation problems.