What does a DNS server do?

A DNS (Domain Name System) server primarily functions to translate human-readable domain names, like www.example.com, into machine-readable IP addresses, such as 192.0.2.1. This process is essential because while humans prefer to use easy-to-remember names, computers and networking equipment rely on numerical IP addresses to locate and communicate with each other over the internet.

When a user enters a domain name into a web browser, the system sends a request to a DNS server to resolve that domain name into its corresponding IP address. The DNS server looks up the name in its database and returns the appropriate IP address, allowing the user's computer to connect to the correct server hosting the desired content.

In the context of the other options, while registering new domain names is a related process, it is not the primary function of a DNS server. Hosting websites involves servers that store website content, which is also distinct from the role of a DNS server. Encrypting web communication pertains to securing data during transmission, which is managed by protocols such as HTTPS, rather than the translation function of a DNS server.