DNS explained: how one domain can power a website, game, and API

DNS is a directory, not the destination

The Domain Name System translates memorable names into the addresses and service hints computers need. It does not host the website or game itself. Think of DNS as the directory that tells a client where to begin; the actual conversation happens with the destination service afterward.

An A record points a hostname to an IPv4 address. AAAA does the same for IPv6. A CNAME makes one hostname an alias of another. These records answer where a name leads, but they do not guarantee that the expected application is listening there.

Why web and game traffic often need different names

Modern websites commonly sit behind an HTTP reverse proxy or content-delivery network. That layer understands web requests on ports 80 and 443, terminates TLS, and routes traffic by hostname. A game may use a completely different TCP or UDP protocol. Sending that traffic to a web-only proxy usually fails because the proxy is not speaking the game’s language.

A clean pattern is to use one proxied hostname for the website and a DNS-only hostname for the game server. Both can share the same parent domain while following different network paths. The separation also makes firewall rules, certificates, and troubleshooting easier to reason about.

Where SRV records help

An SRV record can advertise the hostname and port for a named service. This is useful when a client supports SRV lookups and the service does not use its default port. It is an instruction to compatible clients, not a tunnel and not a replacement for the destination firewall rule.

• Confirm the record resolves from more than one network.
• Test the real application protocol, not only whether a port accepts a connection.
• Keep only required TCP and UDP ports open, and never disable a host firewall just to simplify diagnosis.