What does 'DNS' stand for in networking?

The term 'DNS' stands for Domain Name System. This is a fundamental component of internet infrastructure that allows users to access websites using human-readable domain names, such as www.example.com, rather than numerical IP addresses like 192.0.2.1. The DNS acts like a phone book for the internet; it translates domain names into IP addresses necessary for locating and identifying computer services and devices with the underlying network protocols.

The Domain Name System is organized in a hierarchical structure, with various levels such as top-level domains (TLDs), which include familiar extensions like .com, .org, and .net. This system enables not only browsing the web but also email delivery and other internet services.

Understanding DNS is critical for network configuration, troubleshooting, and an overall comprehension of how web services are accessed on the internet. The other options, while they may sound plausible, do not represent the widely accepted meaning of DNS in the context of networking.