IP addresses and domain names in Intro to Computing - Draw & Build Visually

Draw This - beginner

Draw a diagram that shows how a domain name like www.example.com is translated into an IP address such as 192.168.1.1. Include the steps of typing the domain name, the DNS lookup process, and the final IP address resolution.

10 minutes

Hint 1

Hint 2

Hint 3

Hint 4

Grading Criteria

Diagram shows user typing domain name

DNS server is shown as a separate entity

Arrow from user to DNS server labeled as DNS request

Arrow from DNS server to user labeled as DNS response with IP address

Final connection from user/browser to web server using IP address

Clear labels for domain name and IP address

Start and end points are clearly indicated

Solution

  +----------------+        +----------------+        +----------------+
  | User types     |        | DNS Server     |        | Web Server     |
  | www.example.com| -----> | Looks up IP    | -----> | IP: 192.168.1.1|
  +----------------+        +----------------+        +----------------+
          |                         ^                         |
          |                         |                         |
          |-------------------------|-------------------------|
                     DNS lookup request and response

1. The user types the domain name www.example.com into their web browser.

2. The browser sends a request to a DNS (Domain Name System) server to find the IP address linked to that domain name.

3. The DNS server looks up its records and finds the IP address 192.168.1.1 associated with www.example.com.

4. The DNS server sends the IP address back to the browser.

5. The browser uses the IP address to connect to the web server and load the website.

This process is like looking up a phone number in a phone book when you know the person's name.

Variations - 2 Challenges

[intermediate] Draw a flowchart showing the steps a computer takes to resolve a domain name to an IP address, including checking local cache before querying the DNS server.

[advanced] Draw a detailed diagram showing how multiple DNS servers (recursive and authoritative) work together to resolve the domain name www.example.com to its IP address.