CablesAndKits Blog

Sweet meets savory, everyone! It’s National Chicken and Waffles Day, where crispy chicken and golden waffles team up for the ultimate flavor mashup. Now for the big debate: syrup, hot sauce, or both?

In This Issue: Free Movies, Funny Glitches, Crazy Weather | Deal of the Week | Cisco 2955 Series DIN Rail Rack Mount Kit | Power Injectors Vs Power Supplies | News to Start Your Week

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The CK Weekly – Free Movies, Funny Glitches, Crazy Weather

Good morning, everyone! Happy Tuesday!

How’s your week going so far?

Life update: nothing much! Lately I’ve been watching AI-generated series on different social media apps when I’m not busy. It’s like watching free movies without a subscription. The storylines are interesting and the AI characters are very attractive, but it made me realize how much AI is changing the industry. It just takes someone’s imagination and creativity to write the story, plus AI tools to create a movie-like production, instead of a whole crew of writers, directors, and actors.

Still, the human touch is needed, and we can’t totally replace people with AI. Case in point: an AI series I watched over the weekend. Everything was going smoothly, the story and all, but around the middle of the series, instead of being excited for the climax, I suddenly lost interest because the characters kept changing. The female lead even suddenly had gaps between her front teeth, which made me burst out laughing. I didn’t finish the rest after that.

Anyway, how’s the weather in your area? I hope you’re not affected by the Super El Niño. Here, it’s supposed to be rainy season, but most days are extremely hot, like summer. And when it does rain, especially in the afternoon, it feels like a whole month of rain pouring down at once, with thunderstorms. Crazy weather!

Please stay safe, everyone! Have a great week ahead!

Kat

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Deal of the Week

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Product Spotlights & Updates

The Cisco STK-RACKMNT-2955 is a heavy-duty 19-inch rack mount kit with a chrome-finished cold rolled steel DIN rail adapter, built to securely mount Catalyst 2955 Series switches (WS-C2955C-12, WS-C2955S-12, WS-C2955T-12) in industrial control panels and equipment racks.

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Learning Center Article – Power Injectors Vs Power Supplies for IP Phones

When you do deploy IP phones, you might find that you want a phone in a place that isn’t easily powered. In such a case, you could consider using a PoE injector.

That brings us to an important question. How do PoE injectors compare to power supplies? Is one option better than the other? You’ll find the answers below.

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Today’s News to Start Your Week:

• US banning Chinese AI DeepSeek from government agency IT systems.
• Huge internet outage takes down many of the biggest websites.
• Early US flu season, current strain may signal risk for younger people; doctors urge shots.

Wrapping up the week with a little word power! National Dictionary Day celebrates the birthday of Noah Webster, known as the father of the American dictionary. It’s a great reminder that there’s always something new to learn, even from words we use every day. What’s your favorite word in the dictionary?

In This Issue: Out Before the Storm | Deal of the Week | OS2 LC to SC Singlemode Fiber Optic Patch Cable | What is OM5 Fiber? | News of the Week

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The CK Weekly – Out Before the Storm

Happy Friday!

Last week my family loaded up and headed down to Panama City for Fall Break. We’d been looking forward to it for a while, and the first two days were what we needed: a break from the everyday.

Then Hurricane Isaias showed up and changed our plans. As the forecast got more serious, we made the call to cut the trip short. We packed the car and pulled out at 5:00 a.m. Friday, hoping to beat the rush of everyone else heading north. We had open roads while traffic built up behind us, and we made it home without any trouble.

Leaving early turned out to be the right decision. Isaias made landfall Friday night near Destin as a Category 2 storm with winds up to 105 mph, not far west of where we’d been staying. It tore roofs off homes and condos across the Panhandle, and by Saturday night hundreds of thousands of customers in Florida, Alabama and Georgia had lost power.

The vacation was a lot shorter than planned, but I’m grateful we got two days away and made it home safely. Our thoughts are with the families and businesses along the coast who are now cleaning up. If you have friends or family down there, I hope they’re safe!

Mandy

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Deal of the Week

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Product Spotlights & Updates

This OS2 LC to SC singlemode fiber patch cable features a 9/125 micron core for reliable long-distance data transmission. Built with precision zirconia duplex connectors, LC/UPC and SC/APC polish, and a flame-retardant OFNR jacket, it delivers low-loss performance for telecom, network, and building installations.

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Learning Center Article – What is OM5 Fiber and How is it Different than OM4 & OM3?

Designing fiber optic networks was never easy, but over time, the challenges have shifted. There are more tools than ever to help you optimize every corner of your network. At the same time, increasing options make it more difficult to find satisfaction with the choices you make. That holds true with selecting your fiber cables. So far, the options between singlemode and multimode networks were self-selecting.

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News of the Week:

• Microsoft plans huge deployment of its own AI chips, with an eye on saving costs.
• IMF cites AI slowdown, spiking yields as looming global market risks.
• Pennsylvania launches map for Americans to track data center plans.

Get your forks ready, everyone! Sound the alarms and break out the big pots, October 6th is National Noodle Day! We’re dedicating the next 24 hours to those glorious, wiggly, slippery, saucy strands of pure joy. So, what’s your noodle of choice?

In This Issue: Inflation is Real | Deal of the Week | Cisco Aironet Mounting Bracket | OSPF | News to Start Your Week

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The CK Weekly – Inflation is Real

Happy Tuesday, everyone!

Just sharing with you guys what happened during my weekend break.

We decided to have lunch at a restaurant, expecting good food at a reasonable price. When we ordered, we completely forgot to ask how many people each serving was supposed to be. Well… surprise! It turned out that one serving was only good for one person, but the price was more like it was meant for three people!

And there were five of us in the family! So you can imagine how expensive that lunch turned out to be. 😭 Inflation is really hitting everyone these days!

Luckily, the food was actually delicious, so at least we didn’t feel completely robbed. But with those prices, I think that was definitely our first and last lunch at that restaurant. Lesson learned: always ask how many servings are included before ordering! 🤣

Caressa

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Deal of the Week

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Product Spotlights & Updates

This Cisco Aironet Mounting Bracket securely holds compatible Cisco Aironet access points, making installation and positioning simple in offices, warehouses, and other wireless deployments. It is designed for the Aironet 1040, 1140, 1260, 3500, and 3600 Series, so you get a reliable fit and a clean, stable mount for strong wireless coverage.

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Learning Center Article – What is OSPF (Open Shortest Path First) in Routing?

As networking design grows more complicated and the scale of your network increases, you need better ways to manage traffic. One tool at your disposal is the routing protocol.

There are many routing protocols in the world, but a handful are dramatically more popular than the rest, and for good reason. One of the leading protocols is OSPF.

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Today’s News to Start Your Week:

• Data centre set to replace Microsoft headquarters.
• 90% efficiency, no cables: New wheel-based induction system charges bus through its tire.
• Amazon Prime members can now save 20 cents a gallon amid high gas prices.

Good morning, everyone. Today is National VFW Day, honoring the Veterans of Foreign Wars and every member who has served our nation. Take a moment to recognize the dedication behind this organization and the people who make it what it is.

In This Issue: Tinsel Up, Spooky Season Next | Deal of the Week | Kendall Howard 1U Rack Shelf | Common Wireless Standards | News to Start Your Week

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The CK Weekly – Tinsel Up, Spooky Season Next

Happy Tuesday, CK friends! Hope the week is treating you right so far.

It’s 87 days until Christmas. Too early to count down? Haha, yeah, I’m kind of excited. Here in my country, we celebrate Christmas longer, so my family has already started putting up Christmas decorations around the house, and they’re thinking up new designs too. Just today, I caught my mom making a list of the gifts and dishes we’ll have for the big day. My excited folks! They’re really looking forward to the holidays.

But before Christmas comes Halloween. Here, we honor our departed loved ones during this time by visiting their resting places. This year, I’m planning to visit my grandparents’ graves on my father’s side. We haven’t been there in a while because it’s a 400-km trip, the roads are always packed with people heading home, and it’s burning hot. Still working on a plan! If we don’t make it, my resting relatives might be the ones to visit us lol.

Anyway, it’s already fall in the US. Any fun activities you’re looking forward to this season?

Kat

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Deal of the Week

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Product Spotlights & Updates

The Kendall Howard 1U 6in Vented Base Light Duty Rack Shelf is a compact and versatile solution for supporting lightweight networking and A/V equipment in standard 19-inch racks. With a low-profile 6-inch depth and 1U height, it’s ideal for monitors, small switches, or other peripherals, offering a 45 lb weight capacity suitable for most light-duty applications. Constructed in the USA from high-quality cold-rolled steel with a durable finish, this shelf ensures long-lasting reliability.

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Learning Center Article – What are the Common Wireless Standards?

In order to talk about wireless standards, a brief history lesson is necessary. Before 1997, wireless networking manufacturers around the world were each doing things in their own ways. Devices were not universally compatible, and that made wireless networking more expensive and less reliable than necessary.

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Today’s News to Start Your Week:

• Oil falls as investors focus on Middle East supply.
• OpenAI halts release of latest model over safety concerns.
• Smart ring maker Oura puts off initial public offering due to market uncertainty.

It’s officially fall, everyone! Today marks the Autumnal Equinox, the official handoff from summer to fall in the Northern Hemisphere. The sun sits directly over the equator, day and night even out, and pumpkin spice season officially has our blessing. Are you team “sad summer’s over” or team “finally, sweater weather”?

In This Issue: Turf, Timeouts, and Turning Points | Deal of the Week | Cisco 10GBase-SR SFP+ Modules | Alternatives to Rack Mount Kits | News to Start Your Week

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The CK Weekly – Turf, Timeouts, and Turning Points

Happy Tuesday!

Some seasons of life feel like a constant sprint.

There are schedules to keep, places to be, responsibilities pulling from every direction, and a thousand little things competing for your attention. Some days, it feels like the chaos is the only thing you can see.

But somewhere in the middle of all of it, there are moments that remind me to slow down.

Lately, I’ve found a lot of those moments sitting on the sidelines.

Watching my daughters play softball has a way of putting everything else on pause. There’s something special about watching them compete, grow, laugh, get frustrated, pick themselves back up, and keep going. I find myself paying less attention to the score and more attention to the smiles, the high-fives, the conversations between innings, and the little glimpses of the people they are becoming.

And then there are my boys, stepping onto the turf and playing football for the first time.

Watching them run around, learning the game, figuring things out, getting knocked down and getting back up, it just hits differently. You realize how quickly time is moving. Not long ago, they were little kids running around the house. Now they’re putting on helmets, stepping onto a field, and discovering something new about themselves.

Those moments are easy to overlook when you’re caught up in everything else, so I’m trying not to. I’m trying to take them in, to remember what the turf looks like under the lights, the sound of the crowd, the dirt around the softball field, the excitement on their faces, the conversations in the car afterward. The ordinary moments that, somehow, become the memories you carry with you.

And every once in a while, in between all the noise, there’s a little silence.

Just a few fleeting minutes where the world seems to slow down.

Sometimes it’s sitting beside my wife, after the kids are settled and the day has finally quieted down, with no schedule to chase, no game to get to, no problem that needs solving immediately. Just us.

Those moments might be brief, but I’ve learned they don’t have to be long to matter.

There’s something powerful about being able to sit next to the person you’ve chosen to share this life with and simply be there together, to look around at the life we’ve built, the beautiful parts, the messy parts, the exhausting parts, and feel grateful for all of it.

Maybe finding the right path isn’t always about knowing exactly where you’re going. Maybe it’s about recognizing where you already are, accepting that life can be chaotic and beautiful at the same time, and that the path doesn’t always have to be perfectly clear. Sometimes you’re figuring it out one day, one game, one conversation, one quiet moment at a time.

I’m grateful for my family, my friends, the people who show up, the conversations that make me laugh, and the memories being made without anyone realizing they’re memories yet. And I’m grateful for the uncertainty too, because it means there’s still something ahead.

So today, I’m looking toward the horizon. I don’t know exactly what the day has in store, what opportunities will come, what challenges will show up, or what unexpected moments will become tomorrow’s memories. But I’m ready to see, ready to take the next step, ready to appreciate the people beside me, ready to slow down when the moment calls for it.

And maybe, somewhere in all that chaos, I’ll keep finding the path, not because I have it all figured out, but because I’m learning to recognize the moments that make the journey worth taking.

Thank you for listening to my TED Talk, good evening and good luck!

Matthew

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Deal of the Week

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Product Spotlights & Updates

The Cisco SFP-10G-SR is a hot-swappable 10GBase-SR SFP+ transceiver built for short-reach fiber optic networks in data center, enterprise, and service provider environments. Operating at 850nm over an LC connector, it delivers 10Gbps throughput up to 300m on standard multi-mode fiber (extendable to 300m/400m with OM3/OM4 grade MMF), with Digital Optical Monitoring for real-time visibility into signal strength, temperature, and voltage.

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Learning Center Article – Alternatives to Rack Mount Kits

When you don’t have enough direct-mount hardware and/or kits for your server setup, it’s usually easier to make use of cheap and simple alternatives. These are options that still enable you to attach your devices to the server rack, but they don’t use the traditional mounting kits.

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Today’s News to Start Your Week:

• White House launches Trump TV, a 24/7 greatest hits, after media ban.
• Google opens pre-orders for $899 AI-powered Googlebook laptops.
• Mercedes-Benz partners with Wayve on autonomous driving technology.

Happy Tuesday, everyone! It’s National Double Cheeseburger Day, and the math is simple: double the patties, double the joy. Team “one is plenty” or team “bring me two”? No wrong answers here.

In This Issue: Dragons, Drama, and Dry Taps | Deal of the Week | DisplayPort Cable | Guide To Preventing Outages and Keeping Critical Systems Online | News to Start Your Week

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The CK Weekly – Dragons, Drama, and Dry Taps

Happy Tuesday!

Before I get into the weekend recap, I want to take a moment to remember those we lost on September 11th, 2001. 24 years later and it still hits. We will never forget.

So this one is a little late, but I wanted to share about our Labor Day weekend! We headed to Dragon Con with the family and some friends and got there early on Saturday to snag a good spot for the parade. The kids had a blast recognizing characters and the cosplay was absolutely amazing as always. It was brutally hot outside though and the convention was packed. One thing I’ll pass along to any Dragon Con parents out there: the movie and TV screening rooms are a hidden gem. Great A/C, low key environment, and a perfect spot to let the kids recharge with some snacks. You’re welcome!

The weekend wasn’t without some drama though. A tree fell on our power line and knocked out the water connection at my neighbor’s house, which also supplies water to our home. We were without running water from Saturday all the way through Thursday. Thankfully we keep water stored for situations like this and were able to use a friend’s house for showers and laundry. It’s amazing how much you appreciate running water when it’s gone!

I hope you have a great day and a wonderful week!

Cris

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Deal of the Week

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Product Spotlights & Updates

This 10-foot DisplayPort cable connects your PC, laptop, or graphics card to a monitor, projector, or display, delivering high-resolution video and audio for home, office, or gaming setups. With DisplayPort male connectors on both ends and a sleek black finish, its extended length offers flexibility for desk arrangements, wall-mounted displays, or multi-monitor setups.

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Learning Center Article – Guide To Preventing Outages and Keeping Critical Systems Online

In today’s always-on world, downtime isn’t just inconvenient, it’s expensive. From data centers and network closets to edge locations and critical infrastructure, reliable connectivity depends on one thing above all else: power that doesn’t fail.

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Today’s News to Start Your Week:

• Amazon just announced its fall Prime Day event.
• Gold slips as oil gains strengthen case for elevated interest rates.
• Abbott Laboratories to pay $385 million in settlement involving contaminated formula.