The inability of an Android device to resolve a Domain Name System (DNS) address indicates a failure to translate a website’s domain name (e.g., example.com) into its corresponding Internet Protocol (IP) address. This malfunction prevents the device from locating and accessing the intended online resource. For instance, if a user attempts to open a web page but the device reports an error stating that the address cannot be found, it often signifies a DNS resolution issue.
This issue is significant because reliable DNS resolution is foundational to internet connectivity. Without it, users cannot seamlessly navigate the web using familiar domain names; instead, they would need to know and enter the numerical IP address for every website they wish to visit, a clearly impractical scenario. Historically, DNS was developed to overcome this limitation, providing a user-friendly system for accessing online resources. A failure within this system severely hinders the user experience and disrupts network communication.