[Samba] Name resolution for home network?

[Gilles]

Thanks. I'm already running wsdd on each Linux host to populate Network 
Neighborhood, but that only displays hosts: For actually resolving the 
host, it relies on the etc/hosts file — commenting a host makes it 
unreachable.

On 07/04/2025 14:22, Christian Naumer via samba wrote:
> Hello all,
> wsdd might also be an alternative:
>
> https://github.com/christgau/wsdd
>
> Your suggestions of using DNS will also work but will be more work to 
> set up initially.
>
>
> Regards
>
>
> Christian
>
>
> Am 07.04.25 um 13:56 schrieb Gilles via samba:
>> Hello,
>>
>> For my home network, now that SMBv1 and WINS are gone, I currently 
>> rely on etc/hosts for name resolution. I can confirm that a host is 
>> no longer found after I comment it out in Windows' C: 
>> \Windows\System32\drivers\etc\hosts file.
>>
>> I'd like to use a server instead. With just a couple of Samba 
>> servers, I don't bother with Active Directory, and just set them up 
>> as stand-alone servers.
>>
>> Am I correct in understanding that I should install BIND on one of 
>> the two Linux hosts to resolve local names, and it will forward 
>> queries to my ISP's DNS server for unknown hosts (ie. the Internet)? 
>> Are there other options for name resolution?
>>
>> Thank you.
>>
>> PS : FWIW, here's my smb.conf:
>>
>> =================
>> [global]
>> workgroup = WORKGROUP
>> netbios name = LINUX1
>>
>> security = user
>> ;added, but makes no difference
>> server role = standalone server
>>
>> map to guest = Bad User
>> ;www-data used by Nginx
>> guest account = www-data
>>
>> interfaces = 192.168.0.15/255.255.255.0 127.0.0.1/255.255.255.255
>> bind interfaces only = yes
>>
>> log level = 2
>>
>> ;with SMBv1 gone, WINS goes too
>> ;wins support = yes
>> ;local master = yes
>> ;preferred master = yes
>> ;domain master = yes
>> ;os level = 255
>> ;now using wsdd for share discovery
>> disable netbios = yes
>> client min protocol = SMB2_02
>> server min protocol = SMB2_02
>> smb ports = 445
>>
>> ;this avoids needless errors in the logs if you have no printer
>> printcap name = /dev/null
>> load printers = no
>> printing = bsd
>>
>> [nginx]
>> path = /usr/share/nginx
>> ;Thus no need for Unix/Samba passwords
>> guest ok = yes
>> writeable=yes
>> browseable=yes
>> ;mask = mode
>> create mode = 0644
>> =================
>>
>>
>
>