Every time you visit a website or send an email, something happens in the background that you almost never see: a DNS lookup. Without DNS, you’d have to memorize IP addresses instead of domain names. In this article, you’ll learn what DNS is, how it works, and what the most important DNS records do—such as the A, MX, NS, and SOA records. You’ll also learn how to manage your own DNS records at Minty Hosting.
What is DNS?
DNS stands for Domain Name System. You can think of it as the Internet's phone book. Computers communicate with each other using IP addresses, such as 203.0.113.10. People tend to remember names better, such as jouwdomein.nl. DNS translates that domain name into the correct IP address, so your browser knows which server to connect to.
DNS does more than just find websites. It also determines where your email goes, which servers are authorized to send email on behalf of your domain, and which services are associated with your domain name. You store all of these settings in DNS records.
How Does DNS Work?
Suppose you type www.jouwdomein.nl in your browser. Here's what happens in a fraction of a second:
- Your computer first checks its own memory. If it has already looked up that address recently, it uses the answer from its cache.
- The query is sent to a resolver. This is usually your Internet service provider's DNS server or a public resolver. The resolver searches for the answer on your behalf.
- The root servers point the way. The resolver queries a root server for information about
.nlcan be found. - The .nl servers redirect. The servers in the .nl zone know which name servers are responsible for
jouwdomein.nl. - Your domain's nameserver provides the answer. That authoritative nameserver knows your domain's DNS records and returns the IP address.
- Your browser establishes a connection. Once it has the IP address, your browser loads the website. The resolver caches the response for a while, so the next lookup is faster.
How long an answer is retained depends on the TTL (Time To Live) of a record. It's given in seconds: a TTL of 3600 This means that resolvers store the response for one hour.
The Most Important DNS Records Explained
A DNS zone consists of records. Each record has a name, a type, a TTL, and a value. Below, you can read about what the main types do.
A record: domain name to IPv4 address
The A record (Address) links a domain name to an IPv4 address. This is the record that ensures your website can be found.
jouwdomein.nl. 3600 IN A 203.0.113.10
www.jouwdomein.nl. 3600 IN A 203.0.113.10AAAA record: domain name to IPv6 address
The AAAA record functions the same way as the A record, but for an IPv6 address. More and more networks are using IPv6, so it's a good idea to configure both if your server supports them.
jouwdomein.nl. 3600 IN AAAA 2001:db8::10CNAME record: an alias
A CNAME (Canonical Name) record allows you to have a name point to another name instead of an IP address. This is useful for subdomains that point to an external service. Note: on the main domain itself (jouwdomein.nl) You must not use a CNAME.
shop.jouwdomein.nl. 3600 IN CNAME winkel.voorbeeldplatform.nl.MX record: where your email goes
The MX (Mail Exchanger) record specifies which mail server receives email for your domain. The number preceding it indicates the priority: the lower the number, the higher the priority. If delivery to the first server fails, the sender will try the next one.
jouwdomein.nl. 3600 IN MX 10 mail1.jouwdomein.nl.
jouwdomein.nl. 3600 IN MX 20 mail2.jouwdomein.nl.If you use Microsoft 365 or Google Workspace, your MX records point to that service's servers.
TXT Record: Verification and Email Security
A TXT record contains free-form text. It is primarily used to verify domain ownership and to secure your email with SPF, DKIM, and DMARC. This allows you to specify which servers are authorized to send email on behalf of your domain, reducing the likelihood that your messages will end up in spam and preventing others from misusing your domain.
jouwdomein.nl. 3600 IN TXT "v=spf1 mx include:spf.voorbeeld.nl -all"
_dmarc.jouwdomein.nl. 3600 IN TXT "v=DMARC1; p=quarantine; rua=mailto:dmarc@jouwdomein.nl"NS Record: Which Nameservers Are in Charge?
The NS (Name Server) record specifies which name servers are authoritative for your domain. These are the servers that provide the actual responses regarding your DNS records. At Minty Hosting, these are the MintyDNS name servers:
jouwdomein.nl. 86400 IN NS ns1.mintydns.com.
jouwdomein.nl. 86400 IN NS ns2.mintydns.nl.
jouwdomein.nl. 86400 IN NS ns3.mintydns.eu.By using name servers under three different domain extensions, your domain remains accessible even if there is an outage with one of the extensions.
SOA Record: Your Zone's Basic Information
The SOA (Start of Authority) record appears at the top of every DNS zone and contains administrative information: the primary nameserver, the administrator's email address (with a period instead of an @), and a serial number that increments with each change. It also contains timers that determine how often secondary nameservers check for updates.
jouwdomein.nl. 3600 IN SOA ns1.mintydns.com. hostmaster.jouwdomein.nl. (
2026100501 ; serienummer
3600 ; refresh
600 ; retry
1209600 ; expire
3600 ) ; minimum (negatieve cache)You almost never have to edit the SOA record yourself—the DNS service takes care of that for you.
Other records you might come across
- SRV record: refers to a specific service and port, such as for VoIP or Microsoft Teams.
- CAA record: Specifies which certificate authorities are allowed to issue an SSL certificate for your domain.
- PTR record: the reverse lookup, from IP address to name. Important for mail servers.
All DNS Records at a Glance
| Record | What is it for? | Sample value |
|---|---|---|
| A | Domain Name to IPv4 Address | 203.0.113.10 |
| AAAA | Domain Name to IPv6 Address | 2001:db8::10 |
| CNAME | Alias to Another Name | winkel.voorbeeldplatform.nl. |
| MX | Mail server for incoming email | 10 mail1.jouwdomein.nl. |
| TXT | Verification, SPF, DKIM, and DMARC | "v=spf1 mx -all" |
| NS | Authoritative nameservers | ns1.mintydns.com. |
| STD | Zone Basic Information and Timers | ns1.mintydns.com. hostmaster… |
| SRV | Service with a gate | 10 5 5060 sip.jouwdomein.nl. |
| CAA | Authorized Certificate Issuers | 0 issue "letsencrypt.org" |
MintyDNS: Minty Hosting's proprietary DNS network
Minty Hosting does not use third-party DNS; instead, it has its own DNS platform: MintyDNS. All DNS records for domain names hosted by Minty Hosting are managed on our own nameservers:
ns1.mintydns.comns2.mintydns.nlns3.mintydns.eu
Because we manage the DNS platform ourselves, we know exactly how it works and can respond quickly if you need help. In addition, MintyDNS supports DNSSEC. This digitally signs DNS responses, ensuring that no one can secretly return a forged response and redirect visitors to the wrong server.
Low latency, rapid changes
MintyDNS’s nameservers respond with very low latency. This means that DNS lookups for your domain are answered quickly, which helps ensure fast loading times for your website. In addition, changes to your DNS records at Minty Hosting are implemented on our nameservers at lightning speed. When you update a record, our nameservers return the new response almost immediately.
Good to know: Internet service providers’ resolvers that still have the old response in their cache will keep it there until the TTL expires. Are you planning a move or a major change? If so, lower the record’s TTL one day in advance, for example to 300 seconds. The change will then be visible everywhere within a few minutes.
Manage Your Own DNS Records in the Minty Dashboard
As a Minty Hosting customer, you have access to the Minty dashboard. There, you can manage all the DNS records for your domain names yourself, without having to contact us. In the dashboard, you can, among other things:
- Edit the A and AAAA records to point your website to a different server;
- Set up MX records for Microsoft 365, Google Workspace, or other email services;
- Add TXT records for SPF, DKIM, DMARC, and domain verification;
- Add CNAME, SRV, and CAA records for external services;
- Set the TTL per record.
Need help? Our support team is happy to work with you and help you set up your records correctly—for example, when connecting Microsoft 365 or transferring your domain name.
Your Domain Name and DNS at Minty Hosting
Register your domain name with Minty Hosting and you’ll automatically receive free DNS management through MintyDNS, including DNSSEC and access to the dashboard. Search for your domain name now or transfer your existing domain name to Minty Hosting for free. Questions? Call us at 023 230 5815.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is DNS in simple terms?
DNS is the Internet's phone book. It translates a domain name, such as yourdomain.nl, into the server's IP address, so that your browser knows where the website is located and mail servers know where to send your email.
What is the difference between an A record and a CNAME record?
An A record maps a name directly to an IPv4 address. A CNAME record maps a name to another name, which in turn maps to an IP address. On the main domain, you use an A record.
What is an MX record used for?
An MX record specifies which mail server receives email for your domain. Without a correct MX record, email sent to your domain will not be delivered.
What are Minty Hosting's name servers?
Minty Hosting uses its own DNS platform, MintyDNS, with the nameservers ns1.mintydns.com, ns2.mintydns.nl, and ns3.mintydns.eu. MintyDNS supports DNSSEC.
How quickly does a DNS change take effect at Minty Hosting?
Changes are implemented almost immediately on MintyDNS's nameservers. Resolvers that have the old response in their cache will continue to use it until the TTL expires. With a low TTL, a change will be visible everywhere within a few minutes.
Can I edit my DNS records myself?
Yes. As a Minty Hosting customer, you can manage all your DNS records yourself in the Minty dashboard, including A, AAAA, CNAME, MX, TXT, SRV, and CAA records.
