The Domain Name System (DNS) helps users to find their way around the Internet. Every computer on the Internet has a unique address — just like a telephone number — which is a rather complicated string of numbers. It is called its IP address (IP stands for Internet Protocol). IP Addresses are hard to remember. The DNS makes using the Internet easier by allowing a familiar string of letters (the domain name) to be used instead of the arcane IP address.

It is a «mnemonic» device that makes addresses easier to remember.