What is the main purpose of DNS in networking?

The main purpose of DNS, or Domain Name System, in networking is to translate human-readable domain names into IP addresses. This process is essential because while users prefer to use easy-to-remember names like "www.example.com," computers communicate using numerical IP addresses, such as "192.0.2.1."

When a user enters a domain name into a web browser, DNS resolves this domain by looking up the corresponding IP address, allowing the browser to locate the correct server hosting the website. This translation process is fundamental to the functioning of the internet, as it helps maintain a user-friendly experience while ensuring that network communications can occur accurately and efficiently.

In contrast, while some of the other options might relate to broader functions within networking, they do not capture the primary role of DNS. Email forwarding typically involves other protocols and services such as SMTP rather than the DNS function of translating names. Monitoring traffic for security breaches is more aligned with intrusion detection systems rather than DNS. Although DNS does manage some services in terms of routing email traffic (like MX records), its core functionality remains the resolution of domain names to IP addresses.