CompTIA Network+ Practice Test 2025 – Comprehensive Exam Prep

A very long Time to Live (TTL) value on a DNS record specifies that the record can be cached by DNS resolvers for an extended period before they must query the authoritative DNS server again. As a result, if there are changes to the IP address or other details associated with a domain name, these changes will not be recognized by the DNS resolvers until the TTL expires. This delay in recognizing updates can lead to situations where users are directed to outdated or incorrect IP addresses, impacting the accessibility and functionality of services linked to that domain.

In contrast, shorter TTL values would mean that updates propagate more quickly, but they can also increase the load on DNS servers due to more frequent queries. Even though longer TTLs can reduce the overall server load by decreasing the number of requests, that trade-off comes with the downside of delayed updates. Therefore, while maintaining performance and efficiency, balancing TTL settings is crucial to ensure that DNS changes are reflected in a timely manner.