What does the Domain Name System (DNS) do?

The Domain Name System (DNS) plays a critical role in how the internet functions by converting human-readable domain names, such as www.example.com, into machine-readable IP addresses, which are necessary for locating and addressing devices on the network. This process is essential because while users prefer to use memorable names to access websites, computers and networking equipment operate using IP addresses. Thus, DNS serves as a directory or phonebook for the internet, enabling users to reach their desired web addresses smoothly.

Other options do reference important networking concepts, but they do not accurately reflect the primary function of DNS. For instance, while DNS facilitates access to internet services through the translation of domain names to IP addresses, it does not itself provide those services directly. Similarly, defining protocols for data transmission pertains to other layers of internet infrastructure, such as TCP/IP, rather than DNS. Lastly, the creation of web pages using HTML involves web development processes, which are completely separate from the functions of DNS.