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The smallest of HP's Intel-based server products, the tc2100 is targeted at the small business looking for basic file and print services.
Replacing the older Netserver E200, the new model is much quicker, more capable and neatly addresses a number of previous concerns.
To begin with, the tc2100 is built around a more robust and accessible chassis, which is more stylish and features tool-free expansion to make upgrades far less painful.
In addition, there are two 5.25in bays for backup devices, plus a second internal hard disk bay. Security hasn't been neglected either, with a key lock also included.
Inside the case is a uniprocessor motherboard based on a VIA chipset that supports either a Pentium III processor, as reviewed here, or a slightly slower Celeron. Up to 1.5Gb of ECC-protected memory can be accommodated in three industry-standard Dimm slots.
An integrated Intel 82559 chip provides 10/100Mbit/s Ethernet connectivity, while the onboard Rage XL graphics controller is more than adequate for any server.
Storage is, by default, looked after by an onboard dual-channel E-IDE controller with a single 40Gb 7,200rpm ATA-100 hard disk on the base E-IDE model (£675 ex. VAT).
However, the version we tested was fitted with an optional Adaptec Ultra160 SCSI controller and 18.2Gb 10,000rpm Ultra160 SCSI hard disk.
The Adaptec card consumes one of the PCI expansion slots but, with five available, this isn't a big issue. In addition, the SCSI card can be used to support a backup tape drive.
Unless otherwise specified, the tc2100 is delivered without an operating system. However, a start-up CDRom helps with installation and there's support for all the leading products, including Windows NT/2000, Novell NetWare and most of the low-cost Linux implementations.
We were suitably impressed with the new server, which performed well in our labs. You'll need to budget for a monitor, but a three-year, on-site warranty comes as standard. Support for a second processor would be nice but, other than that, the tc2100 stands up well against the small-business server competition.
Price: £775 (ex. VAT)
Specifications:
Processor: 1.13GHz Pentium III (950MHz Celeron option)
Memory: 128Mb of ECC SDRam, expandable to 1.5Gb
Storage: Six drive bays, internal disk capacity of 120Gb (E-IDE) or 219Gb (SCSI)
Operating system: Installation support for Windows NT/2000, NetWare, Red Hat Linux, Turbo Linux.
Contact: Hewlett Packard 0990 474 747
www.hp.co.uk
See also:
Very much a small-business server, but a good performer nonetheless. 22 Aug 2002All Servers
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