The DNS Library
DNS Clients & OS Behavior
How operating systems and applications handle DNS queries.
5 articles · ~29 min total · reads in order
1
Stub Resolvers: The DNS You Actually Use
An explanation of stub resolvers, the DNS components that run on endpoints and decide how name resolution behaves before any query leaves the device.
intro 5 min read Updated Aug 22, 2026
2
Why DNS Behavior Differs by Operating System
An explanation of how and why DNS resolution behavior varies across macOS, Windows, Linux, and mobile operating systems.
intro 6 min read Updated Aug 21, 2026
3
mDNS, LLMNR, and Local Name Resolution
Why local name resolution protocols exist, how they work, and how they interact with conventional DNS.
intro 7 min read Updated Aug 21, 2026
4
DNS Search Domains and Suffix Expansion
How operating systems modify and expand names before sending DNS queries, and why this behavior often surprises engineers.
intro 5 min read Updated Aug 22, 2026
5
VPNs, Split DNS, and Surprising Resolution Paths
How DNS behaves unexpectedly when traffic is split across multiple networks or trust boundaries, and why VPNs change where DNS questions are sent.
intermediate 6 min read Updated Aug 22, 2026