Nameservers vs DNS (Domain Name System): A Complete Guide

You’ve bought your domain. Your hosting is ready. But your website still doesn’t load. This is one of the most common problems for new site owners and the cause often lies in how the nameservers or DNS are set.

Nameservers and DNS work quietly in the background, directing visitors to your website and making sure everything loads where it should. When something is off, your site disappears from the web, or your emails stop working.

This guide explains what nameservers and DNS are, how they work together, and how to manage them correctly. You’ll learn what to do when moving to a new hosting provider like Truehost, and how to keep your website live and reachable all the time.

What is DNS?

DNS stands for Domain Name System. It converts a website name you type into the numeric address computers use. For example, DNS turns Truehost.com into the IP address of the server that hosts the site. This lookup happens in milliseconds so you rarely notice it.

DNS holds different types of records. For instance, an A record points a domain to an IP address while MX records tell other mail servers where to deliver your email. There are also CNAME records that let one name act as an alias for another. 

These records live on authoritative DNS servers and are what nameservers answer when asked where your site or mail lives. 

When you change hosting providers or move your website, DNS ensures visitors are directed to the correct new location. However, these updates don’t happen instantly. It can take a few minutes to 48 hours for the changes to spread in a process called DNS propagation. During this time, some users might still see the old version of your site depending on their internet provider’s cache.

For Tanzanian website owners, managing DNS properly means your domain, email, and subdomains remain available worldwide. The good news is Truehost offers DNS management tools that let you edit and monitor your records anytime, ensuring your site stays live and reachable, even when you update servers or move to new hosting.

What is a Nameserver?

A nameserver is the part of the internet that tells browsers where to find your website. Think of it as the traffic officer of the Domain Name System. When someone types your domain name, the nameserver responds with the right IP address so the visitor reaches your site quickly.

When you register a domain, your nameservers will be something like ns1.truehost.cloud or ns2.truehost.cloud. These nameservers guide the internet to your DNS records, which is the information that decides where your website and email are hosted. 

So, if your nameservers aren’t set correctly, your domain won’t load, no matter how good your hosting is.

Many new website owners face connection problems simply because their nameservers point to the wrong place. They fail to know changing hosting or migrating a domain often requires updating these settings. It’s a simple task but one that determines whether your site is live or invisible online.

To learn how nameservers actually work and how to change them safely, see our detailed Truehost guide on nameservers. It explains each step with examples, so you can manage them effectively.

How Do Nameservers and DNS Relate?

DNS and nameservers are like two halves of the same system that make the internet work. DNS is the global network that translates domain names into IP addresses, while nameservers are the specific machines that store and serve those translations for your domain.

When someone types your domain name, the DNS system begins a search. It looks for the nameservers listed for that domain. Those nameservers then provide the DNS records, such as the IP address where your website is hosted or where your emails should go.

Without nameservers, the DNS system would have nowhere to fetch that information. And without DNS, nameservers would have no network to deliver their answers through. The two work hand in hand such that DNS handles the communication, while nameservers store and respond with the data that keeps your website and email reachable.

This close relationship is why a small mistake in either part can break your connection. For example, if you move your hosting to a new provider but forget to update your nameservers, DNS queries will still go to the old location, and your website won’t load.

What Is the Difference Between DNS and Nameservers?

At first glance, DNS and nameservers seem like the same thing. After all, both deal with domains and IP addresses but they play very different roles in how your website connects to the internet.

Understanding their differences helps you fix website errors faster, choose better hosting, and keep your domain working smoothly, whether you manage a .tz site in Tanzania or any other extension worldwide.

Below are the key differences between DNS and nameservers that you need to know.

1) Role in the Internet Structure

DNS is the entire network system that converts domain names into IP addresses. Nameservers on the other hand are individual servers that store and share that DNS data.

Think of DNS as the entire postal system, while nameservers are the post offices that store and deliver your mail. Without DNS, there’s no communication path. Without nameservers, there’s no data to send.

2) Function

DNS functions as the translator of the internet. It maps your domain name likeyourbusinessname.com to its IP address. 

Nameservers, on the other hand, store and serve those mappings. When a DNS query asks “where is this domain hosted?”, the nameserver responds with the exact address.

In short, DNS does the talking while nameservers provide the answers.

3) Scope of Operation

The DNS system operates globally and includes many layers, such as root servers, top-level domains like .com, .tz, and authoritative zones. 

That’s unlike nameservers that work within one zone, for example, yourdomain.co.tz and handle queries only for that specific domain.

This means DNS is a global infrastructure, but nameservers are local checkpoints within it.

4) Who Manages Them

The DNS system is overseen by organizations such as ICANN and IANA, which coordinate how domain names and IP addresses are distributed worldwide.

Nameservers on the other hand are usually managed by your web host or domain registrar. For example, if you use Truehost, your nameservers might be ns1.truehost.co and ns2.truehost.co.

Your hosting company keeps these nameservers running 24/7 to make sure your site stays reachable.

5) Type of Changes You Make

When you edit DNS records like A, MX, TXT, or CNAME, you are changing what your domain does, which is where your website loads from, how email is delivered, or how verification tools identify your domain.

On the flip side, when you change nameservers, you’re changing who manages those DNS records. That’s a bigger move as it shifts control to a new provider.

For instance, switching your nameservers from GoDaddy to Truehost means Truehost will now handle all your DNS records.

6) Propagation Time

Changes in DNS records usually take a few minutes to a few hours to propagate, depending on TTL (Time to Live) settings.

That;s unlike changing a nameserver which takes longer, often between 24 to 48 hours, because updates must reach root and TLD servers globally.

That’s why many webmasters in Tanzania notice their new websites taking time to go live after changing hosting providers.

7) Error Impact

When DNS records are incorrect, your website might still load but show old content, or your emails might fail to reach their destination.

In contrast, when nameservers are wrong, your entire domain becomes unreachable. Instead of your site, visitors might see a registrar holding page or a “server not found” error.

That’s why double-checking your nameservers before publishing a site is so critical.

8) Security and Reliability

DNS as a system uses tools like DNSSEC (Domain Name System Security Extensions) and caching layers to prevent hijacking and to keep queries fast.

On the other hand, nameservers rely on redundancy which is at least two separate servers hosted on different networks to stay online even if one fails.

That is why reliable providers like Truehost use distributed nameservers to ensure uptime and protect against attacks.

DNS vs Nameservers: Quick Comparison Table

Here’s a quick table to help you see the main differences at a glance:

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

1) What is the difference between DNS and NS?

The difference between DNS and NS (nameserver) is that DNS is the global system that translates domain names into IP addresses, while NS refers to the actual servers that store and manage those DNS records. In short, DNS is the entire addressing system, and nameservers are the computers that make it work by responding to queries about your domain.

2) Are DNS and nameservers the same?

DNS and nameservers are not the same. DNS is the broader network protocol that connects domain names to their IP destinations, while nameservers are part of that network responsible for holding and delivering a domain’s DNS data. Without nameservers, the DNS system would have no place to retrieve records like A, MX, or CNAME.

3) Is GoDaddy a domain name server?

No, GoDaddy is not a domain name server. It’s a domain registrar that offers nameserver services to manage your DNS records. When you buy a domain through GoDaddy, you’re assigned nameservers such as nsXX.godaddy.com, which direct your domain traffic to the right hosting server.

Final Thoughts

Understanding the difference between DNS and nameservers is essential for any website owner. 

DNS is the system that translates your domain into the right IP addresses, while nameservers are the servers that store and deliver those DNS records. When both are set correctly, your website and email run smoothly, and mistakes that cause downtime or delivery issues become far less likely.

Keep this guide in mind whenever you register a domain, move hosting, or update DNS records. With the right setup, your site stays online, visitors reach you without problems, and emails get delivered reliably. 

For a trusted registrar and fully supported DNS services in Tanzania, Truehost offers tools and guidance to ensure your domains always point to the right place.