Name resolution in small network

[don fisher]

I have a bunch of laptops currently running a mix of Linux and Windoz. I 
have recently tried to bring up Samba so that I could share files 
easily. With the Linux systems, I have always used /etc/hosts to resolve 
names. But with the addition of Samba and the Microsoft products, this 
does not work (at least as far as I know).

I have a router that provides DHCP name resolution. If I use DHCP with 
my Linux hosts, Windoz reads the router and resolved their IP address. 
But I do not know how to make Linux read the router and resolve the 
Windoz DHCP addresses.

I have tried to purchase and read the literature, but every volume 
appears to be around 400 pages long:-( I cannot read that fast. I see 
references to broadcasts, WINS servers etc., all suggesting that I 
purchase another book to discover how they work:-)

Is there a simple DNS that I can set up that can be loaded with my 
/etc/hosts data, read the data in the DHCP router, handle a NAS device, 
and whatever else may be required.

Thanks
don
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