Imagine the Internet without the Domain Name System (DNS). What would be true?

Imagine the Internet without the Domain Name System (DNS). What would be true?

• A. You would still access websites using friendly domain names.
• B. You would not be able to use friendly domain names; you'd need numeric IP addresses.
• C. DNS would be replaced by a faster system.
• D. The Internet would stop working entirely.

Answer: (B)

The test is about how domain names are turned into the numeric addresses the Internet uses to route data. DNS provides that mapping from friendly names (like example.com) to IP addresses. Without DNS, there’s no universal way to resolve those names, so you couldn’t rely on typing a domain name to reach a site. You’d have to know and use the numeric IP address directly, or rely on local mappings you’ve set up on a device, which isn’t scalable across the whole Internet. That’s why the correct idea is that you wouldn’t be able to use friendly domain names; you’d need numeric IP addresses. The Internet wouldn’t suddenly stop working just because DNS is gone—the underlying routing by IP addresses would still function. What would be lost is convenient name resolution; the other options imply a guaranteed replacement or a complete failure, which aren’t implied by removing DNS.

The test is about how domain names are turned into the numeric addresses the Internet uses to route data. DNS provides that mapping from friendly names (like example.com) to IP addresses. Without DNS, there’s no universal way to resolve those names, so you couldn’t rely on typing a domain name to reach a site. You’d have to know and use the numeric IP address directly, or rely on local mappings you’ve set up on a device, which isn’t scalable across the whole Internet. That’s why the correct idea is that you wouldn’t be able to use friendly domain names; you’d need numeric IP addresses.

The Internet wouldn’t suddenly stop working just because DNS is gone—the underlying routing by IP addresses would still function. What would be lost is convenient name resolution; the other options imply a guaranteed replacement or a complete failure, which aren’t implied by removing DNS.