Domain Name System (DNS) is a critical component of network infrastructure, responsible for translating human-readable domain names into IP addresses that computers use to identify each other on the network. Proper DNS configuration ensures that users can access websites, email servers, and other network resources efficiently. This article will guide you through configuring and troubleshooting DNS in a Windows environment using Command Prompt (CMD) and PowerShell, tools that are integral to Windows systems.

Examples:

1. Configuring DNS Server Settings via CMD: To set a DNS server address using Command Prompt, you can use the netsh command. Here’s how you can do it:

   netsh interface ip set dns name="Ethernet" source=static address=8.8.8.8
   netsh interface ip add dns name="Ethernet" 8.8.4.4 index=2

   This command sets the primary DNS server to 8.8.8.8 and the secondary DNS server to 8.8.4.4 for the network interface named "Ethernet".

2. Configuring DNS Server Settings via PowerShell: PowerShell provides a more powerful and flexible way to manage DNS settings. Here’s an example of how to set DNS server addresses:

   Set-DnsClientServerAddress -InterfaceAlias "Ethernet" -ServerAddresses ("8.8.8.8", "8.8.4.4")

   This command configures the DNS server addresses for the network interface named "Ethernet".

3. Flushing DNS Cache via CMD: Sometimes, it is necessary to clear the DNS cache to resolve DNS-related issues. This can be done using the ipconfig command:

   ipconfig /flushdns

   This command clears the DNS resolver cache.

4. Testing DNS Resolution via CMD: To test DNS resolution, you can use the nslookup command. Here’s an example:

   nslookup www.example.com

   This command queries the DNS server to resolve the domain name www.example.com to its corresponding IP address.

5. Viewing DNS Client Configuration via PowerShell: You can view the current DNS client configuration using the Get-DnsClient cmdlet in PowerShell:

   Get-DnsClient

   This command displays detailed information about the DNS client configuration on the system.