Which network protocol allows you to associate a text-based name with an IP address?

The Domain Name System (DNS) is the network protocol specifically designed to translate human-friendly domain names, such as www.example.com, into numerical IP addresses, such as 192.0.2.1. This process allows users to access websites using easy-to-remember names instead of having to memorize complex numerical addresses.

When a user enters a website name into a web browser, the DNS resolves that name into an IP address, enabling the browser to locate the desired server on the Internet. This function is essential for the usability of the web, ensuring that users can navigate online resources easily and efficiently without needing to deal directly with numeric IP addresses.

The other options present protocols that serve different functions. For instance, FTP is primarily used for transferring files between client and server, HTTP is the foundation for data communication on the World Wide Web, and SMTP is used for sending emails. None of these protocols are involved in the process of mapping domain names to IP addresses, which is the fundamental role of DNS.