If you are reading this blog article chances are you shop online. Personally, I couldn’t imagine a world without eBay, God bless Pierre Omidyar and the guy that had an affinity for broken laser pointers.

Those of us whose profession is in IT usually have a natural talent for sensing when it’s safe to buy from a website or not. It comes from seeing the ins and outs of what makes a website work, work better, and work securely. However for most it’s a shot in the dark. To get a feel for the security of the company you plan to buy from you should watch for these things:

Does the site LOOK safe? This may seem a bit silly but seriously, does the site look like it was designed by a 3rd grader? (I say 3rd grader because we all know that most 5th graders are self taught code ninjas who can design circles around 40 year old’s ) If you wouldn’t hand your money to a PERSON that looked like the human equivalent of this website why would you poke your 16 digits into this crayon box of a cash register? If it stinks, cover your nose with one hand while putting your wallet away with the other.

Does the site WORK? If the site is full of links that take you nowhere, is missing product descriptions, has no product images, has broken pages, or site errors, etc. run. Whoever started this site is at their real job right now. They are not even making sure the site is functional, much less secure.

Look for the padlock When non encrypted data passes from your PC to the website you are browsing it travels in plain text which means that anyone who makes it a point to capture this data can see exactly what information you are submitting to the site. This is normal (the non encrypted part, not the capturing and seeing part). This is typically not important until you start sending sensitive data to the website by completing checkout forms, etc. Once you begin the checkout process on a website, or are on any page where you are asked to enter sensitive information, the communication should be secure using Secure Socket Layer (SSL) data encryption. It is outside the scope of this article to explain how that works but trust me when I say it’s good, wonderful, and necessary! To know that you are on a secure page you should look for “https” in the address bar and a padlock at the top or bottom of your browser window. This will alert you that the site is secured by an SSL certificate. You can click the lock to view information about the certificate such as the level of encryption, who issued the certificate, etc.

Look for security logo’s There are companies that specialize in verifying and monitoring a website’s security. McAfee and HackerSafe are among them. These companies will check the company out to make sure their site is secure and will monitor it daily to ensure it stays that way. What’s more, these services cost thousands of dollars per year. If the company is using one of these services it is likely they care about security and are selling enough product to afford the service. NOTE: Seeing the logo is not enough. Anyone can copy the image of the logo from someone else’s website and display it on theirs. You need to look at the date that is displayed on the logo (look at the one on our homepage) to make sure it is current and also click the logo to be taken to the security company’s website to verify they are a client.

Is there a phone number on the site? I would be lying if I said that a company must put a number on their site to be legit, however if there is no phone number on the site there is a reason. Think about it, if you had a website selling a product what would be the reason you wouldn’t list a phone number? Here are a few reasons that come to mind:

- The owner of the site has a day job, the site is a hobby, and they cannot accommodate or be “bothered” with phone calls, probably because they are at work. It may seem obvious but do you really want to buy from a seller in this situation?
- The seller gets a million phone calls a day concerning problems with orders or problems with product quality, etc and rather than finding a solution to the problem they found a solution to the symptom (the phone calls).
- The whole thing is a scam. It’s not difficult to setup a simple e-commerce website, especially for someone who is out to defraud the public and does this frequently. It’s not as likely as the other reasons but it’s possible.

The company should also have a physical address on thier site (unless they operate outside of time and space in which case a daily UPS/FedEx pickup would be difficult and you would likely not receive your product). There is a difference in someone “in the business” of selling XYZ and someone who is taking a stab at a new career. You should be able to tell the difference.

Ask Others If you are still unsure about the website you want to buy from you should ask around, search the web, post in a forum, etc. For instance, we sell Cisco and network related products so if you wanted to know more about us you could post in a technology related forum like Tek-Tips or Experts-Exchange, etc. Asking others that may have bought from the company in the past is a great way to learn about them. Search the web for the company’s name, you might find a customer complaint on a forum. Finding one complaint doesnt mean the company is not to be trusted but it can confirm a fear if you already had doubts. For instance, if you searched the web for complaints about Walmart you are sure to find one, but that doesnt mean they are not a good company.

Trust your gut If you don’t have a good feeling about the company, keep looking. There are plenty of honest and dependable retailers on the web and there is generally no reason for you to be stuck buying from just one. If you are set on buying from the company and it’s just their site that you don’t trust, give them a call. There are plenty of otherwise great companies with horrible websites. You should still be diligent when buying from a company over the phone to make sure they are legit but I suspect that if you were on the fence before calling you will fall one way or the other when they answer (or don’t answer) the phone.

Be safe .. I don’t want to see you on the evening news.  : )

If you’ve ever installed a network, either for your home, office or business, you’ve probably asked yourself- With so many different types of network cabling, what do I really need?  Is it a Cat 5, 5e, 6, 6A, shielded or unshielded, UTP or STP? Do I need a patch/straight through cable or a crossover cable?  With so many different kinds of network cables to choose from, which one is right for your needs?

What types of network cable are available currently?

Cat5 has been replaced by Cat5e as the general standard networking cable in new installations, with the improved signal carrying capacity being the primary reason.  A Cat5 cable can support Ethernet and Fast Ethernet. Cat5e (Cat5 enhanced) supports Ethernet, Fast Ethernet, and Gigabit Ethernet speeds over short distances and is backward compatible with Cat5.  Cat5e cable also has improved durability, due to improvements in the quality of the PVC protective jacket. It is more than suitable for most data cabling requirements.

Cat6 is one of the newest versions of network cabling, and is very similar to Cat5e, but specifically designed to consistently deliver 1 Gigabit Ethernet. It is used in installations where a Cat6 Certified Network is required. 

While Cat5e and Cat6 can support Gigabit speeds, Cat6A (Cat6 Augmented) is certified to 10 Gigabit speeds and is backward compatible with the all the existing standards, and is suitable for industries utilizing high-performance computing platforms to support very high bandwidth-intensive applications. 10G/Cat 6a applications would be server farms, storage area networks, data centers & riser backbones.

What is the difference between stranded, solid cable, and plenum rated cables?

Cat 5e, 6 and 6a can all be purchased in stranded or solid, and/or plenum wire construction. Stranded or UTP (Universal Twisted Pair) is primarily used for patch cables. The core of the cable is comprised of insulated strands of copper so that it can be flexed repeatedly without the copper cores of the conductors breaking. Solid Cat5e is primarily used for in wall/permanent applications. The cable cores are comprised of one single solid strand of copper. This allows the cable to carry signals over longer distances but cannot be flexed too many times without the copper cores breaking. Plenum is primarily used for in wall/permanent applications where the local building codes require its use as the low smoke/flame retardant jacket reduces the amount of toxic fumes that are released into air when the jacket is burned.

What is the difference between a patch or straight through cable, shielded cable and a crossover cable?

Patch or Straight through cables, are used to connect almost all networking components together and are the most common cable as a result. Some examples of connections made with patch cables would include:

• Patch Panel to Computer
• Computer to DSL/Cable Modem
• Computer to Hub
• DSL/Cable Modem to Router
• DSL/Cable Modem to Hub
• DSL/Cable Modem to Wireless Access Point
• Wall Plate to Computer

Crossover cables are used in situations where two devices have the same interface, for example, connecting a hub to a hub, or a switch to a switch, or patching a hub or switch into a wall plate. Some examples of connections made with crossover cables would include:

• Switch to Switch
• Computer to Computer (peer-to-peer network)
• Hub to Hub
• Access point to Access point

These types of cables also come in shielded versions. Shielded Cable or STP (Shielded Twisted Pair) has a protective “foil” that surrounds the cable. Shielded cable was designed to prevent strong sources of Electromagnetic Interference (EMI) and Radio Frequency Interference (RFI), from affecting the ability of the cable to transmit data. Generators, Elevator motors, and many types of lighting will produce strong EMI that can pass through the cable, corrupting your data and shutting down communication. The shielding in the wire blocks this energy from getting through.

So, what kind of network cable is best for you?

For most home and office applications, Cat5e should suit your purposes- using solid wire in the walls and ceilings, twisted wire patch cables for your computers, routers, modems and peripherals, and crossover cables between switches, access points, and patch panels where required. Cat6 and 6A could be used in to order to establish a large network of high speed servers or data centers or to “future proof” new installations where growth or upgrades of your equipment capacities is a high possibility. Network cables are the backbone of any network and choosing the correct ones will increase your network’s communication, efficiency and cost effectiveness.
If you have any questions concerning which cable type is right for your requirements feel free to contact us here at CablesAndKits where we are more than happy to help!

Up to now, CablesAndKits been a little slow to catch up in the social marketing craze that is taking over the world. We’ve decided to take some action, so here’s a couple of places you can find us:

Facebook
Twitter

Content is a little sparse at the moment. We’ll be adding more soon. And we’ll be recruiting others on our team to get in on the fun as well!

Let us know what you’d like to see.

CablesAndKits.com is proud to announce that Pepe, our beloved hamster, has been set free in the warehouse to spend his golden years dodging footsteps and hiding amongst the routers and rackmount kits.  For the past four years he has been the “four paws behind the magic” here at CableAndKits as he tirelessly powered our server by keeping that hamster wheel spinning.  As for Pepe’s replacement, we traded in his hamster wheel for a shiny new server complete with an Intel Xeon Quad Core processor, 4 gigs of RAM, super fast hard drives configured for RAID 10, laser beams, and an espresso machine!

Ok, all joking aside, my name is Mike and I’m a software developer here at CablesAndKits.com.  Our development team is proud to announce the we have successfully migrated our site to a brand new server.  Craig pulled out all the stops and got us a top of the line machine that should provide a better shopping experience to our customers for years to come.  The new server went online at approximately 5:45 PM EST on Friday, February 6 2009 and we promptly took the old server out back and gave it a gangland style beating similar to the fax machine scene in Office Space.

Although Craig forbids that his development team has any communication with the outside world (it will be interesting to see his reaction when he reads this), I will go ahead and say that we are constantly working on cool enhancements to our store and ask that you check back often to see the progress we are making.  And I really don’t mean to make Craig seem like a mean boss – since Pepe has retired the “boss man” has even allowed the other developers and myself 10 minutes each day to play with him in the warehouse!  Thanks for your patronage and happy networking!

Its that time again. We’re gearing up for “the leading Business Technology Event” — Interop Las Vegas 2009. This will be our third year exhibiting at the Las Vegas event. We always have a great time exhibiting in Vegas, and we expect this year to be no exception. In years past, we have drawn the crowds with our giveaways — the most memorable of course being the “Nice Rack” t-shirts. [If you haven't been by to get yours yet, no worries... we will have them again this year.]

Besides giving away t-shirts and other gifts, we’re also looking forward to meeting all of you! [If you'll be at the show, be sure to come say "Hi!"] We’ll have a larger space, friendly faces to chat with, and we’ll be displaying some new product lines.

Stay tuned for more updates as the show dates approach.

Get your FREE Expo Pass or receive $100 off a Conference Pass

CablesAndKits.com — Booth #2719

Interop Las Vegas
May 17-21, 2009
Mandalay Bay Convention Center
www.interop.com

Las Vegas Interop Floor Plan

This is a common problem these days. Almost all Cisco networking equipment is configured using a serial console cable (usually the 72-3383-01 DB9 to RJ45 cable) but most new laptops (and even workstations) no longer have a DB9 serial port.

The solution is a USB to Serial adapter. With the USB to DB9 serial adapter and a standard Cisco console cable (72-3383-01) you essentialy have a “USB Console Cable“.

Every Sys Admin should have one of these in their laptop bag right next to their “Late Night Server Migration Survival Kit” (the “just right size” bag of M&M’s we include with every order of course)

CablesAndKits.com is pleased to announce that we now offer the entire Kendall Howard product lineup to our customers.

Kendall Howard is based in Chisago City, Minnesota and is a manufacturer of quality Rack and LAN hardware such as Network and Telecom hardware racks, shelves, and other rack accessories and LAN workstations.

Some of Kendall Howard’s innovative products include the SOHO series 8U and 12U compact racks which include casters and optional front and rear locking vented doors, and the Kendall Howard V-Rack, a wall rack that allows vertical or horizontal mounting, which is ideal for a server that is too deep to fit in a standard rack or cabinet.

Check out their full product lineup on our site here or by browsing by category.

I recently found myself traveling 95 MPH on an access road here in Atlanta, zooming by all the folks going much slower on the interstate to my left. While percentage wise this was not a great deal faster than I usually travel I realized that it sure felt much faster (which was exhilarating but that’s beside the point .

That got me to thinking (for some strange reason) about the speed in which email and other web traffic travels. Most people (including myself up to that point) have never given it a lot of thought so I decided to crunch a few numbers and explain it relative to something we are all very familiar with; driving.

Let’s say you are located in Buford, GA and send an email to a friend in Melbourne, Australia. Better yet, let’s say that was me (cause it was . Once that email is about to begin its journey from server to server I think it probably turns on some rock and roll, adjusts its seat and mirrors and makes sure it is buckled in nice and tight. It probably closes its eyes and might even say a little prayer … because it knows it is about to be blasted 10,200 miles in less than TWO TENTHS of a SECOND! That’s right, this email will travel 10,200 miles in 0.12 seconds!

That is equivalent to:

85,000 Miles per Second
5.1 MILLION Miles per Minute
306 MILLION Miles per Hour!

Blinking your eye takes approximately 0.35 seconds (somewhere between 300 and 400 milliseconds). Your email can make it to your friend’s neighborhood, realize it forgot the casserole, return home to get it, and make it back in time for dinner. All “in the blink of an eye”.

The fastest thing in the universe is the speed of light which is 186,000 miles per second. An email makes it to the other side of the planet at nearly half the speed of light.

So the next time you are traveling at 75 MPH think about this … If you were driving to Australia (think buoyant, BE buoyant) over 4 Million emails could be sent and received before you arrived.

Google Maps actually recommends Kayaking to Australia. Here is a link to Google’s directions for doing so, in case you are interested.

Atlanta to Melbourne via Kayak

Kayak to Australia

(For all you math nerds, please keep in mind this illustration is not “scientifically accurate”, it’s based on some pinging, a traceroute, a little network research (Check out the massive fiber Primus has laid deep in the ocean!), and basic math using a cheap calculator)

Few people label (or desire to label) all the ports of their patch panels. The result is you having NO clue what cable goes where. If you are lucky you know which ones are connected to something and which ones are not.

I used to be in the same position myself at our old building. I had a normal patch panel and a bad habit of not labeling (or remembering) which cable went where. When a new workstation was added it was quite frustrating  for me to have to figure out what port on the patch panel went to that data port at the workstation so I could connect it to the data switch. As bad as it may sound, usually I would just plug each port of the patch panel into the switch until the light on the switch came on. But once when the light came on it wasn’t the new workstation that I was trying to add, It was a decommissioned server that had never been shut down .. too bad it was configured with the same IP address as the new server! Both servers shut down their Ethernet interfaces causing all work in the office to come to a screeching halt. That was the end of the “plug it till you get it” method.

When I started to design the network for our new building before moving in back in late 07 I started looking for a solution to this problem. One of our vendors had just started offering the neatest thing I had ever seen. It was so simple yet so amazing. It is a patch panel that has a little LED light above each port. Using a handheld signal generator at the other end of the network drop (at the keystone jack/data port near the workstation) a signal is sent over an unused pair of wire in the Ethernet cable to illuminate an LED light on the patch panel directly above the port. Amazingly simple, amazingly handy. If you want to add a new workstation you plug the signal generator into the wall and go see what light is lit on the patch panel, that’s your port! You can also plug Ethernet cables that are fished through your rack into the signal generator to see which port on the patch panel it is connected to.

If you are installing new patch panels or wish to upgrade your existing panels, simply purchase the LED patch panel in the desired rating and capacity (Both CAT5e and CAT6 are available in 24 and 48 port versions), and one or more Signal Generators. The signal generator is not required to install and use the patch panel. It is only used to illuminate the LED lights on the patch panel when desired, so you can purchase them now, later, or as needed in case you need an extra or lose one later.

The patch panels install in the exact same manner that a standard patch panel would install, no special installation or wiring considerations are required. An Ethernet cable consists of 8 conductors (4 pairs) and only 2 of those pairs are actually used for an Ethernet connection between devices such as a PC and a network switch, although all 4 pairs are always wired at each end. This system uses one of the unused pairs of wire to transmit the signal that illuminates the LED light on the patch panel. It is completely safe and causes no harm whatsoever to any device on the network.

LED Signal Generator

LED Patch Panel

Learn more about these LED patch panels on our site here. As always, if you have any questions about this or any other item please give us a call!

The day has finally come. The brand spanking new CablesAndKits.com blog went live yesterday (Friday December the 5th, 2008). We are very excited to have a place to share information with our customers and guests and hope you enjoy this new addition to our site.

Please send your questions, comments, or suggestions for articles you would like to see to blog@cablesandkits.com.

The address of the blog is http://www.cablesandkits.com/blog