A Lookup
Look up the IPv4 (A) records for a hostname.
Monitor this automatically
NetTests can run this check on a schedule, preserve historical results, compare changes over time, and alert you the moment something breaks.
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What is an A record?
An A record maps a hostname to an IPv4 address. For example, example.com A 93.184.216.34 tells resolvers the domain resolves to that IP. Most websites have one or more A records; multiple A records are used for load balancing or redundancy across servers.
How is an A lookup different from a ping?
An A lookup queries DNS to find the IP address for a hostname — pure DNS resolution. A ping then uses that IP to send ICMP echo requests testing reachability and latency. This tool lets you inspect just the DNS step, which is useful for diagnosing propagation delays or verifying a recent DNS change took effect.
Why does a domain have multiple A records?
Multiple A records distribute traffic across servers (DNS round-robin load balancing) or provide failover. CDNs like Cloudflare and Akamai return different A records depending on the resolver's location, directing users to nearby servers automatically.
What does TTL mean on a DNS record?
TTL (Time To Live) is the number of seconds resolvers may cache the answer. A TTL of 300 means the record can be cached for 5 minutes before re-querying. Lower TTLs allow faster propagation of changes; higher TTLs reduce query load. Common values: 300 (5 min), 3600 (1 hour), 86400 (24 hours).