How many root DNS servers are there?
Understand the Problem
The question is asking for the total number of root DNS servers that exist in the Domain Name System infrastructure, which are critical for resolving domain names to IP addresses on the internet.
Answer
Hundreds of servers, 13 IP addresses
There are hundreds of DNS root servers operating globally, but there are only 13 distinct IP addresses used to query them.
Answer for screen readers
There are hundreds of DNS root servers operating globally, but there are only 13 distinct IP addresses used to query them.
More Information
This setup allows for robust and distributed DNS services across the world while maintaining the perception of 13 root servers due to IP addressing.
Tips
A common mistake is to think there are only 13 physical servers instead of understanding the difference between the number of servers and the number of IP addresses.
Sources
- Why There Are Only 13 DNS Root Name Servers - Lifewire - lifewire.com
- Root name server - Wikipedia - en.wikipedia.org
- Root Servers - Internet Assigned Numbers Authority - iana.org
