diff --git a/.azure/pipelines/azure-pipelines-external-release.yml b/.azure/pipelines/azure-pipelines-external-release.yml
index 579d1b5239..1a593b40a9 100644
--- a/.azure/pipelines/azure-pipelines-external-release.yml
+++ b/.azure/pipelines/azure-pipelines-external-release.yml
@@ -169,7 +169,7 @@ jobs:
     inputs:
       action: 'create'
       gitHubConnection: ADO_to_Github_ServiceConnection
-      tagSource: manual
+      tagSource: userSpecifiedTag
       tag: 'v$(Build.BuildNumber)'
       title: 'Garnet v$(Build.BuildNumber)'
       releaseNotesSource: input
diff --git a/libs/client/GarnetClient.cs b/libs/client/GarnetClient.cs
index 2edabf7627..dcd976a7e6 100644
--- a/libs/client/GarnetClient.cs
+++ b/libs/client/GarnetClient.cs
@@ -188,7 +188,7 @@ public GarnetClient(
         /// </summary>
         public void Connect(CancellationToken token = default)
         {
-            socket = GetSendSocket(timeoutMilliseconds);
+            socket = CreateSendSocket(timeoutMilliseconds);
             networkWriter = new NetworkWriter(this, socket, bufferSize, sslOptions, out networkHandler, sendPageSize, networkSendThrottleMax, logger);
             networkHandler.StartAsync(sslOptions, $"{address}:{port}", token).ConfigureAwait(false).GetAwaiter().GetResult();
             networkSender = networkHandler.GetNetworkSender();
@@ -221,7 +221,7 @@ public void Connect(CancellationToken token = default)
         /// </summary>
         public async Task ConnectAsync(CancellationToken token = default)
         {
-            socket = GetSendSocket(timeoutMilliseconds);
+            socket = CreateSendSocket(timeoutMilliseconds);
             networkWriter = new NetworkWriter(this, socket, bufferSize, sslOptions, out networkHandler, sendPageSize, networkSendThrottleMax, logger);
             await networkHandler.StartAsync(sslOptions, $"{address}:{port}", token).ConfigureAwait(false);
             networkSender = networkHandler.GetNetworkSender();
@@ -249,37 +249,86 @@ public async Task ConnectAsync(CancellationToken token = default)
             }
         }
 
-        Socket GetSendSocket(int millisecondsTimeout = 0)
+        /// <summary>
+        /// Create client send socket
+        /// </summary>
+        /// <param name="millisecondsTimeout"></param>
+        /// <returns></returns>
+        /// <exception cref="Exception"></exception>
+        Socket CreateSendSocket(int millisecondsTimeout = 0)
         {
-            var ip = IPAddress.Parse(address);
-            var endPoint = new IPEndPoint(ip, port);
+            if (!IPAddress.TryParse(address, out var ip))
+            {
+                var hostEntries = Dns.GetHostEntry(address);
+                // Try all available DNS entries if a hostName is provided
+                foreach (var addressEntry in hostEntries.AddressList)
+                {
+                    var endPoint = new IPEndPoint(addressEntry, port);
+                    if (!TryConnectSocket(endPoint, millisecondsTimeout, out var socket))
+                        continue;
+                    return socket;
+                }
+
+                // Reaching this point means we failed to establish connection from any of the provided addresses
+                throw new Exception($"Failed to connect at {address}:{port}");
+            }
+            else
+            {
+                var endPoint = new IPEndPoint(ip, port);
+                if (!TryConnectSocket(endPoint, millisecondsTimeout, out var socket))
+                {
+                    // If failed here then provided endpoint does not accept connections
+                    logger?.LogWarning("Failed to connect at {address}:{port}", ip.ToString(), port);
+                    throw new Exception($"Failed to connect at {ip.ToString()}:{port}");
+                }
+                return socket;
+            }
+        }
 
-            var socket = new Socket(endPoint.AddressFamily, SocketType.Stream, ProtocolType.Tcp)
+        /// <summary>
+        /// Try to establish connection for socket using endPoint
+        /// </summary>
+        /// <param name="endPoint"></param>
+        /// <param name="millisecondsTimeout"></param>
+        /// <param name="socket"></param>
+        /// <returns></returns>
+        bool TryConnectSocket(IPEndPoint endPoint, int millisecondsTimeout, out Socket socket)
+        {
+            socket = new Socket(endPoint.AddressFamily, SocketType.Stream, ProtocolType.Tcp)
             {
                 NoDelay = true
             };
-
-            if (millisecondsTimeout > 0)
+            try
             {
-                var result = socket.BeginConnect(endPoint, null, null);
-                result.AsyncWaitHandle.WaitOne(millisecondsTimeout, true);
-
-                if (socket.Connected)
+                if (millisecondsTimeout > 0)
                 {
-                    socket.EndConnect(result);
+                    var result = socket.BeginConnect(endPoint, null, null);
+                    result.AsyncWaitHandle.WaitOne(millisecondsTimeout, true);
+
+                    if (socket.Connected)
+                    {
+                        socket.EndConnect(result);
+                    }
+                    else
+                    {
+                        socket.Close();
+                        throw new Exception($"Failed to connect server {address}:{port}.");
+                    }
                 }
                 else
                 {
-                    socket.Close();
-                    throw new Exception($"Failed to connect server {address}:{port}.");
+                    socket.Connect(endPoint);
                 }
             }
-            else
+            catch (Exception ex)
             {
-                socket.Connect(endPoint);
+                logger?.LogWarning(ex, "Failed at GarnetClient.TryConnectSocket");
+                socket.Dispose();
+                socket = null;
+                return false;
             }
 
-            return socket;
+            return true;
         }
 
         async Task TimeoutChecker()