Forward vs Reverse DNS Lookup - What's the difference?

In the DNS category, Forward DNS lookup resolves a domain name to an IP address, while Reverse DNS lookup resolves an IP address to a domain name.

Forward DNS lookup is commonly used to translate human-readable domain names (like www.example.com) into machine-readable IP addresses (like 192.0.2.1), allowing web browsers and other devices to connect to the correct server.

On the other hand, Reverse DNS lookup is used for security and authentication purposes. It verifies the ownership of an IP address by looking up the corresponding domain name, which can help prevent spam and phishing attacks.

Both types of DNS lookups are essential for the smooth functioning of the Internet and network communications.