What is a primary function of the Domain Name System (DNS)?

The primary function of the Domain Name System (DNS) is to translate domain names into IP addresses. When a user types a web address (like www.example.com) into a browser, the DNS is responsible for resolving that human-readable domain name into a machine-readable IP address. This process is essential because, while humans find it easier to remember names, the internet operates on numerical IP addresses that identify devices on the network.

By converting these user-friendly names into IP addresses, DNS enables users to navigate the internet efficiently. Without this translation function, users would need to memorize complex numerical addresses, making the internet much less accessible.

The other functions mentioned in the choices do not directly describe the primary role of DNS. For instance, while DNS may help with caching to speed up lookup times, this is a secondary benefit rather than its main purpose. Internet security and network optimization are also important aspects in network management, but they are not core functions of DNS itself. Thus, the correct answer highlights the foundational and essential role of DNS in facilitating internet navigation.