What is one of the main purposes of the DNS?

The Domain Name System (DNS) primarily serves the purpose of translating human-friendly domain names into machine-readable IP addresses. When a user types a web address, like www.example.com, into their browser, the DNS is responsible for looking up the corresponding IP address so that the browser can access the website's resources. This conversion process is essential because while humans find domain names easier to remember, computers use IP addresses to identify and locate devices on a network.

By handling this translation, DNS acts as a crucial intermediary that enables users to navigate the internet more easily without needing to remember numerical IP addresses. This functionality supports the overall usability and accessibility of the web, making it a fundamental part of internet infrastructure.