Alongside the single Gigabit Ethernet network port is an eSATA port for adding external storage. Six external USB2 ports are also available and there's plenty of room for internal expansion too as the motherboard has three spare PCI Express slots. Along with the SATA DVDROM drive there's also a spare 5.25in bay at the front as well.
Management options are more basic than Dell's higher-end PowerEdge servers as the motherboard doesn't support the iDRAC6 Express or Enterprise optional upgrades. It only has an embedded BMC (baseboard management controller) which shares access with the network port. It can be accessed remotely using Dell's IPMISH command line utility, but this only lets you control server power.
You also get the Windows-based OpenManage Server Administrator which provides local and remote web browser access. It doesn't have features such as KVM-over-IP remote control or power usage monitoring, but you can view temperatures, voltages and cooling fan speeds and it can issue alerts when problems are detected.
The PowerEdge T110 II is a very worthy candidate for a first server. It's well built, has plenty of room to expand and has a good choice of processor and storage options allowing small businesses to pick and choose to get the best value.
Verdict
The PowerEdge T110 II is a fine choice for small businesses looking for their first server as it combines a balanced blend of build quality, features, expansion potential and value. The price of our review system may seem quite high but it does include a good specification along with a three year on-site warranty. If the price is too high however, Dell offers enough options to allow you to find the best balance between price and performance.
Chassis: Pedestal
CPU: 3.4GHz Intel Xeon E3-1270
Memory: 8GB DDR3 LV UDIMM expandable to 32GB
Storage: 3 x 250GB Dell SATA hard disks in cold-swap carriers
RAID: PERC S300 PCI Express card
Array support: RAID 0, 1, 10, 5, JBODs
Expansion: 4 x PCI Express Gen 2 slots, 1 x eSATA
Network: 1 x Gigabit Ethernet
Management: Embedded iDRAC6 BMC
Software: Windows Server 2008 R2 Foundation Edition, Dell OpenManage Server Administrator
Warranty: Three years ProSupport on-site next business day
POWER CONSUMPTION
Idle 38W
Active 110W
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