--- title: DNS: The Internet's Phone Book | High Desert Internet url: https://hdiss.net/glossary/dns/ business: High Desert Internet Services (HDISS) phone: 775-575-9593, 775-391-5660 email: info@hdiss.net mailing_address: Home base: 200 S Virginia St, Suite 760, Reno NV 89501 (dispatch office, not a walk-in store). Mail: Billing Dept., PO Box 11353, Reno NV 89510 hours: Office open 9:00 AM to 5:00 PM, seven days a week. Network watched around the clock. type: Fixed wireless internet service provider (homes and small businesses), web hosting, customer email, domain registration service_area: Northern Nevada - Washoe, Lyon, Storey, Churchill and Douglas counties and Carson City; availability is checked address by address (line of sight to a tower) plans: Bronze $50/mo up to 500 Mbps down, up to 200 Mbps up; Silver $75/mo up to 800 down, up to 200 up; Gold $99/mo up to 1 Gig down, up to 200 up; ask about the up to 1 Gig / 1 Gig ultra-low-latency service no_online_purchase: true (check your address or call; existing customers pay at https://www2.fernley.net/hdiss/onlinepay/paymentform.cfm) since: 2002 --- - [Home](https://hdiss.net/) - [Glossary](https://hdiss.net/glossary/) - DNS # DNS (Domain Name System) DNS is how "hdiss.net" becomes a number your device can reach. When it is slow or broken, sites seem to load slowly or not at all even though the line is fine. A Wi-Fi router on a shelf. Stock photo: Adobe Stock. [Photo credits](https://hdiss.net/photo-credits/) ## What is DNS? Defined in RFC 1034 and RFC 1035, the system is a worldwide, layered directory. Your device asks a resolver, which asks other servers until one holds the answer, then remembers it for a set time. The records it holds include the address for a name, where mail goes (the [MX record](https://hdiss.net/glossary/mx-record/)) and which servers are in charge of a domain (the [nameserver](https://hdiss.net/glossary/nameserver/)). Your router normally uses the resolver your provider hands out. You can choose another, such as one your family-safety service offers. ## Why does it matter on a fixed wireless line? A lookup is a small round trip, so a sluggish resolver adds a pause before each new site, and that can feel like a slow line. A page might hang for seconds with the speed test still looking fine. Then a different resolver, or a restart of the router, clears it. DNS is also where a website and email address live. If you have a domain through High Desert, the records that send people to your site and mail to your inbox are kept in DNS. The guide [DNS records for your domain](https://hdiss.net/guides/dns-records-for-your-domain/) explains each type. ## What should I do about it? If pages stall but a speed test is normal, try opening a site by name and then a different site. If only names fail, DNS is the likely cause. Restart the router. If it persists, call 775-575-9593 and say that names do not load. The company does not publish which resolver addresses it provides. Families can use DNS to block categories of sites; see [DNS filtering for families](https://hdiss.net/guides/dns-filtering-for-families/). Do not enter a resolver address you do not recognize, because a bad one can send you to fake sites. Related: [domain name](https://hdiss.net/glossary/domain-name/) and [traceroute](https://hdiss.net/glossary/traceroute/). ### Sources - [rfc-editor.org/rfc/rfc1034](https://www.rfc-editor.org/rfc/rfc1034) (RFC 1034, Domain Names: Concepts and Facilities, IETF) - [rfc-editor.org/rfc/rfc1035](https://www.rfc-editor.org/rfc/rfc1035) (RFC 1035, Domain Names: Implementation and Specification, IETF) - [hdiss.net/](https://hdiss.net/) (company services, read 10/15/26) ### Talk to a person - Call [775-575-9593](tel:7755759593) [775-391-5660](tel:7753915660) Open 9-5 every day - Email [info@hdiss.net](mailto:info@hdiss.net) [Check my address](https://hdiss.net/check-availability/#check) ### Related terms - [Nameserver](https://hdiss.net/glossary/nameserver/) - [DNS record](https://hdiss.net/glossary/dns-record/) - [Domain name](https://hdiss.net/glossary/domain-name/) - [DNS records for your domain: A, MX, CNAME and TXT explained](https://hdiss.net/guides/dns-records-for-your-domain/) - [DNS filtering for a family network](https://hdiss.net/guides/dns-filtering-for-families/) Local since 2002 Fixed wireless from towers in Northern Nevada. Three plans, no contracts, local support, 4.8 on Google from 36 reviews. [About High Desert](https://hdiss.net/about/)