Archives for September 2021

Happy Monday! We hope you had a wonderful weekend and were able to rest and relax as you gear up for another great week ahead. How can we be praying for you this week?

In This Issue: Counting Our Blessings & Gearing Up for Fun! | Deal of the Day | Cisco DB25 to RJ45 Modem Adaptor | FAQ: What are Proxy Servers? | News to Start Your Day

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The CK Daily – Counting Our Blessings & Gearing Up for Fun!

Happy Monday!

We were very fortunate enough to have very minimal impact from Hurricane Helene. It seemed like at the last minute it veered off its predicted path and we were spared the brunt of the storms. We definitely counted our blessings and are praying for those impacted by the hurricane.

On Saturday we attended an Odyssey of the Mind team meeting, and it looks like it’s going to be quite the commitment with practices on Thursdays and Saturdays. The coach is a seasoned veteran who’s made it to the World’s competition multiple times (and last year her team placed 5th out of hundreds at World’s), and I’m glad she’s taking the competition seriously. My daughter is very excited for the competitions and we’re definitely proud of her for making the team.

October’s just around the corner, I’m looking forward to the cooler weather, fall treats (although I might be getting tired of pumpkin spice), and scary movies! What are you looking forward to this October?

Cris

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Deal of the Day

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Product Spotlights & Updates

With CablesAndKits, you can adapt to almost anything. This DB25 to RJ45 adapter can be used to connect a standard RJ45 to RJ45 rollover Console cable from your Cisco device to an external modem for remote management. By connecting the DB25 male side of this adapter to your modem you are left with a female RJ45 connection to connect one end of the male RJ45 console cable. Why do all this? When you connect the other RJ45 end of your console cable to the console port of your Cisco device you get remote management ability! Yep, we’ve got you covered.

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Learning Center Article – What are Proxy Servers?

Have you ever thought about how exactly internet communication works? It gets pretty complicated, but it can also be fascinating.

Amidst the tangle of devices and downloads and communication, a lot of different elements play critical roles in the process. One such element that you can easily overlook is the proxy server.

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Today’s News to Start Your Day:

• The WNBA had record viewership during the 2024 regular season as the league’s popularity soared with rookie stars. Viewership spiked to more than 54 million unique viewers across various networks and platforms.
• The Food and Drug Administration approved Bristol Myers Squibb’s highly anticipated schizophrenia drug, the first novel type of treatment for the debilitating, chronic mental disorder in more than seven decades.
• Chick-fil-A has recently announced that they have plans to open five restaurants, both licensed and locally owned and operated models, across the U.K. within the next two years.
• A SpaceX capsule sent to bring back two astronauts stranded on the International Space Station (ISS) has docked.

In This Issue: Just go with the flow | Cisco StackWise Stacking Cable | News to Start Your Day

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Happy Thursday! Get ready to exercise your jaw today to celebrate National Chewing Gum Day! Enjoy popping a bubble or freshening your breath with your favorite piece of chewing gum. Do you have a favorite brand/flavor of gum you enjoy? 

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The CK Daily – Just go with the flow

Happy Thursday!

Whew…this has been a week! I started the week off with high hopes and expectations to get so much done but so many things I had not planned happened and disrupted my plans for the week. I usually plan out my week and time pretty good but when it comes to your family and their health you just learn to go with the flow and do what needs to be done.

My whole family is getting over having Covid (well, except for my Dad who seems to be immune to it…he is the most susceptible to it and has somehow avoided getting it while the rest of the family did.) It was wild not getting to see them for about three weeks. I was having to play courier for them by picking up medicine, groceries, and whatever else they needed and dropping it off on their front porch. Good thing I only live about 12 minutes from them. My mom (breakthrough case) and oldest cousin (my parents have custody of 2 of my cousins) seemed to have been hit the hardest. They have all been past the contagious stage for about two weeks but the lingering issues have been more of a problem than when they were sick.

Back to this week, I had plans to redo all my landscaping, change around somethings in the garage, finish one of my guest rooms, and do a few other things in the evenings. What I ended up doing was taking my cousin to the hospital Monday night, almost had to take my mom to the hospital on Tuesday, and then I had to take my dad to his doctor yesterday since mom still couldn’t drive. Not exactly what I had planned this week, but we were driving back from the doctor yesterday, just my dad and I, and he said we have not spent time, just the two of us, together in a long time without him being sick. I thought about and he was right we had not with everything else going on. He said, “Thank you for driving me today. This is nice, we should do it more often.” I agreed. It was nice and we should do it more often and will.

This whole week I have had to just go with the flow instead of my plans – personally, at work, at home, etc. In the moment it is frustrating not getting what I wanted to done, but it was good ending up doing what needed to be done and being able to help them out, and even spend a little unplanned time with them. I think everyone is on the mend now or at least heading in the right direction so here’s to hopefully getting some “planned” stuff done soon.

Have a great day!

Jason

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Product Spotlights & Updates

Stack it up with CablesAndKits with the Cisco StackWise Stacking Cable!

Cisco StackWise stacking cables can connect a combination of Catalyst 3750 and 3750-E stackable switches to form a single switching unit or a series of 3750X switches together to form a single switching unit. Our Cisco data cables are specifically intended to work with Gigabit Ethernet, while also making it easy to allow switch additions, deletions, and redeployment without interruption. What’s even better, you can use these data cables to stack up to nine switches to become a single unit with one master switch.

Snag one today for 30% off!

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Learning Center Article – What is CAT6A and How is it being used today?

What is the most important component of network design? Cost and performance certainly dictate the final result, but such general concepts don’t really pinpoint a place to start. In reality, a network’s capacity and reliability are built upon the cables that connect everything. When cost and performance are used to select a cable, most network engineers try to stuff as much Ethernet into their system as they can.

Ethernet tends to be the more affordable, reliable way to keep devices in communication and fulfill a network’s needs. One of the reasons Ethernet is still able to fill these roles with modern data demands is because newer, more powerful cables are available. While Cat6A is neither the newest nor most advanced Ethernet on the market today, it is a staple in the industry and services a wide range of networks.

Read more here. 

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Today’s News to Start Your Day:

• A Los Angeles judge has suspended Britney Spears’ father Jamie Spears from the conservatorship that’s controlled the singer’s life, career and finances for 13 years.
• Navient announced it will no longer service federal student loans, leaving around 6 million borrowers waiting to be matched with a new lender.
• Want to know where the best U.S. state to mine for bitcoin is? Check out this map. 
• iOS 15 can recognize text in an iPhone photo and allows users to copy-paste the words into a document. For example, you can now take a photo of a page in a book and then grab that text and put it into a document or a note.
• Deliveroo has partnered with Morrisons to launch “Hop,” a service that delivers groceries in as little as 10 minutes.

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In This Issue: Rainy Day Blues Turned Beachy! | Surge Protector Power Strip With 15A Outlets and 6ft Cord | News to Start Your Day

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Happy Tuesday & Happy National Voter Registration Day! Today helps to ensure eligible voters register in their districts each year. Not sure if you’re already registered to vote? Head on over to vote.org to find out! 

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The CK Daily – Rainy Day Blues turned Beachy!

Good Morning and Happy Tuesday!

What a difference a week can make! Last week I was talking about having the rainy day blues, but this week I have found the cure! There’s just nothing quite like a beach vacation to kick the rainy day blues! My family made a last-minute decision to head down to the beach for the week, and I’m thrilled we did! We rarely (if ever) do last-minute vacations, so this was very out of character for us!

We are spending the week along 30A in Florida, midway between Panama City & Destin. It’s beautiful here this time of year! The crowds are thinned out, and the water is so blue and beautiful! I grew up coming to this area but haven’t been back in the last five years, so it’s fun getting to be here again. If you have any suggestions on places we need to check out, please let me know!

Have a great week!

Rebecca

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Product Spotlights & Updates:

We’re keeping the deals rolling this week with a 6ft Surge Protector Power Strip. Everyone needs one of these in their toolbox right?!

Protecting your electronics from power surges is a crucial step to keep them alive and functioning for years to come. Power strips are not only a way to keep them safe, they are a convenient way to add additional outlets where plugs are at a premium.

This six-outlet, surge protected power strip is perfect for guarding electronic surges by adding additional NEMA 5-15R outlets near home entertainment systems or behind the family computer. With its LED power-on indicator, you will never have to guess if it’s on or off. The strip also houses a 15Amp circuit breaker. This device not only serves to protect and add convenience, but it also comes equipped with a 6 foot, heavy-duty extension cord bringing the outlets closer to the devices needing power.

Don’t be caught with fried equipment or frustrated by the lack of standard power outlets. This cost-effective, reliable power strip will save you time and money.

Grab one for 20% off!

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Learning Center Article – Do I Need The Latest Server?

Data centers aren’t cheap. Just the cost of power requirements for keeping your equipment running can be staggering. Adding the cost of new servers can often feel like too much. If you have high demands and a tight budget, you need a way to get more power and performance for every dollar spent. For most applications, the easiest way to do this is to look at refurbished servers and parts.

In truth, there are few applications that require a brand-new server. Even the most stressed and taxed data centers on the planet are running equipment that is an average of two to three years old. If your demands are any less than this, you can maximize your return on investment by purchasing refurbished.

Read the full article here.

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Today’s News to Start Your Day:

• Coinbase will allow U.S. users to deposit any percentage of their paychecks directly into their accounts in the coming weeks. Deposits can either be in U.S. dollars or immediately transferred into cryptocurrencies with no fees.
• The newest version of the iPhone operating system, iOS 15, has the ability to create a “burner email address” — or an email that’s not linked to your identity but still forwards messages to your inbox.
• TikTok revealed they have 1 billion active global users, indicating steady growth of the short-form video app. Are you a TikTok fan? 
• Microsoft has launched a new walkie-talkie phone feature for Teams. 
• Microsoft is keeping the customization going by soon allowing users to hide their own video feed during calls and, conversely, to pin it to the screen. They are hopeful these new features will help to reduce distractions. 

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In This Issue: Conviction | Cisco 1000BASE-T Standard SFP Module, Extended Temperature | News to Start Your Day

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Happy Monday! We hope you enjoyed your weekend. Enjoy kicking off this week celebrating National String Cheese Day! Are you one of those people who peel away the cheese piece by piece or do you just chomp down and enjoy? 

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The CK Daily – Conviction

Good morning CK Fam!

Conviction is one of those heavy words. To live and love with conviction will undoubtedly move you to feel a more fulfilled life that steers you from sin and wrongdoing.

In a world ever-changing that seemingly celebrates sin amongst its inhabitants, hold fast to your convictions, and don’t lose hope. Feel fulfilled and help others find that fulfillment.

I say all of this due to personal experience this last week. We invited a friend’s cousin to play basketball with us. Nice young man, a lot of energy, and a full life in front of him. The friend of mine texted me to let me know his cousin’s life has ended due to an overdose.

These tragedies take place every day in America, when it happens close to us, we wish we could’ve done more.

Live with conviction. Love with conviction.

Have a great week,

Corey

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Product Spotlights & Updates

Happy Monday!

Sometimes you just have to roll with Copper and when Fiber is not an option the GLC-TE is a great option for your networking needs. These Copper SFPs have a data transfer rate of 1000 Mbps with a max distance of 100 meters. There’s a similar product that Cisco sells that is identical to the GLC-TE, but has one major difference. The GLC-T is nearly identical in every way but has a lower operating temperature and that’s a crucial difference. The GLC-T operates at 0 to 70°C (32 to 158°F) while the GLC-TE operates at -5 to 85°C (23 to 185°F).  For those server environments where the temperature gets a little hot or a bit cold, be sure to grab a GLC-TE if you need a copper SFP. Here’s a bit of trivia when it comes to cisco products. Typically they categorize temperature ranges into three distinct categories for this product family. COM, EXT, and IND that mean the following (the GLC-TE is in the EXT category):

• Commercial temperature range (COM): 0 to 70°C (32 to 158°F) – for your standard operating environments that are typically temperature controlled. 
• Extended temperature range (EXT): -5°C to 85°C (23 to 185°F) for your above-average heat and a little cooler environments
• Industrial temperature range (IND): -40 to 85°C (-40 to 185°F) – for what I like to call the icebox or Antarctica environments

What’s even a better fact is that the Cisco Original GLC-TE for 25% off this week!

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Learning Center Article – What are Console Cables & What are they used for?

Console cables — also known as Cisco cables, rollover cables and management cables — are designed for a specific purpose. They connect Cisco networking devices to terminals or PCs for configuration. Typically, the Cisco end will connect via RJ45, and the terminal end will conclude in a serial connection.

What matters most about console cables is the specific nature of the connection. This is not an Ethernet or networking connection. It is a terminal connection, and its purpose is to enable the connected computer to configure the networking device. This is true for older Cisco equipment and brand-new devices. Configuration is performed through the serial connection.

Keep reading about the primary kinds of console cables here. 

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Today’s News to Start Your Day:

• CVS Health will fill as many as 25,000 clinical and retail jobs ahead of the flu season and as they prepare to administer booster Covid-19 vaccine shots.
• Netflix’s “The Crown” was the big winner at Sunday’s Primetime Emmy Awards, bringing home seven wins, the most of any show.
• Amazon is adding more sponsored product ads to the top of search results. Ad prices have surged on Amazon as competition has flourished. 
• Lamar Jackson ended the losing skid vs. Mahomes in a wild shootout victory. 
• Ingenuity has outlasted its planned mission, and now Mars is throwing some obstacles into its flight path. Read more here. 

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In This Issue: Customer Service is Key | AC Power Cord, 5-15P to C13, 18 AWG, 2ft, Black | News to Start Your Day

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September 15th recognizes the thing we either love or hate – online learning!  Whether you’ve ever taken an online course, used educational resources at a traditional brick-and-mortar school, or taught them, this day is for you. Are you a fan of online learning?

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The CK Daily – Customer Service is Key!

Hi there! 

I passed the baton to my friend Cris Anzai last week, but I am back on the saddle! I’ve mentioned this before, but life gets busy and I find myself juggling many tasks at once, so there are times when I need a break. I am so thankful for Cris taking the reigns from me last week. 

Good News! The customer solutions department is continuing to grow. I recently invited a new team member to the team who comes with 6 years of customer service experience! As she joins the CK Family, I look forward to her serving each of you and assisting you with all your IT projects. She has a great personality, and I am sure she will fit in nicely with the rest of the squad. 

We recently received a review from a customer who said: “Thank you for being a wonderful company that still believes in customer service.” After reading this, I took a moment to think about the power of these words and the idea that there are some companies that do not value customer service. If it wasn’t for each of you, CK would not be here. Customers are super essential, and it is important that we can serve each of you to the best of our ability. I like to tell our new team members to treat every single customer as they would like to be treated! With this in mind, it is our goal that each person we come in contact with finishes their transaction with a smile on their face. 

Happy Wednesday friends! 

Shanyce

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Product Spotlights & Updates

It’s Hump Day! Today, we’re taking a closer look at the AC Power Cord, 5-15P to C13, 18 AWG which is 25% off this week. Power cords are commonly used to connect a piece of equipment to a power distribution unit and many other uses. Whether the cords are used in a basic or dense installation, these heavy-duty power cords save time and money!

C13, or IEC60320-C13 is a 3 prong, female connector commonly used on the end of computer and networking device power cords. This is likely the most common equipment end cord available today. This plug has a maximum current rating of 10 amps at 16-18AWG, 15 amps at 14-16AWG, and able to handle a maximum of 250 volts. These ends plug into a C14.

The 5-15P, or NEMA 5-15P are three-prong male plugs used in most households and businesses in North America to supply power to devices. These plugs are rated at 15 amps on a 10-18AWG cord and up to 125V AC. The receptacle for this plug is a 5-15R.

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Learning Center Article – Importance of Fiber Optic Cleaning

What is Fiber Optic Cleaning?

Installing fiber optic systems is not easy. It requires multiple levels of expertise in design and application, and it’s why fiber optics experts are always in high demand. Every system needs fiber optic cleaning to ensure that it will work properly.

As the name implies, fiber optic cleaning is the process of cleaning fiber connector end faces and components that are prone to contamination. Contamination can hurt fiber optic performance and even lead to test failures. Cleaning resolves one of the leading causes of these failures.

To put it in simple terms, fiber optic cleaning is necessary to allow the components to perform as intended. Read more about fiber cleaning and what it accomplishes here. 

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Today’s News to Start Your Day:

• Apple announced the iPhone 13, iPhone 13 mini, iPhone 13 Pro and iPhone 13 Pro Max, Apple Watch Series 7, a new regular iPad, and an all-new iPad mini. Read more about it all here. 
• Walmart+ is gaining momentum in its number of members. The membership, which includes perks such as free unlimited grocery deliveries has hit 32 million members. 
• The Las Vegas Raiders and Baltimore Ravens contest on ESPN drew 15.2 million viewers, the most-viewed NFL opener on the network since 2013. Were you watching?
• Instagram says it’s looking at new ways to discourage users from focusing on their physical appearance after The Wall Street Journal revealed that Facebook researchers have repeatedly found that the photo-sharing platform is toxic for teen girls.
• Walmart is expanding its partnerships with self-driving vehicle companies to include Ford Motor and Argo AI.

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In This Issue: Giving Golf a Shot | Cisco 8861 Five Line Color Display IP Phone | News to Start Your Day

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Happy National Cream Filled Donut Day & National Eat a Hoagie Day! Seems like the perfect duo, don’t you think? Enjoy a delicious hoagie filled with meats, cheeses, vegetables, and sauces – then follow it up with your favorite filled donut! 

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The CK Daily – Giving Golf a Shot

Good Morning & Happy Tuesday! As you are reading this, I will be hitting the golf course for a charity golf tournament that CK participates in every year! I’m really excited about the opportunity to play in it even though I am a complete rookie when it comes to golf. In fact, I have only ever played once, and that was only a couple of months ago!

Golf is a sport that I’ve been wanting to try for years, but I always found that my fear of the unknown and of being a complete failure was a powerful enough deterrent to keep me from giving it a shot. Back in July, I had the opportunity to play in another golf tournament that CK was participating in and I figured it was time to seize the opportunity and just go for it. I’m so glad I did because it was so much fun! Full disclosure, I’m pretty terrible at it (shocking, I know). Regardless, it was a great experience, and I came away from it wanting to learn more and get better!

Overall, it was a good reminder that sometimes the desire to be perfect (or the fear of failure) can keep us from experiencing some awesome things in life. I like to remind myself that no matter what the activity or skill is, no one ever started as an expert. Everyone who is great at something was once a beginner, and you won’t ever reach greatness if you don’t try!

Rebecca

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Product Spotlights & Updates

Happy Tuesday! Today’s spotlight is the Cisco 8861 Five Line Color Display IP Phone.

This Cisco CP-8861-K9 desk phone is an excellent choice when looking for a phone to help you increase productivity through an engaging user experience. This phone features crystal clear wideband audio performance, comes with 5 programmable lines, Bluetooth, Cisco Intelligent Proximity, an integral Gigabit switch, and the ability to add Key Expansion Modules. Not only is the 8861 highly functional, but it comes in a sleek ergonomic design and is highly reliable and secure.

Better yet, it comes with our industry-best lifetime warranty!

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Learning Center Article – Your Guide to Cisco Catalyst Switches

A network is only as effective as its weakest link. When you have heavy demands, you need good options to meet and exceed those demands. Cisco has been providing top-quality options for every network design for decades. This overview on the CK Learning Center will introduce you to some of the most common, versatile, and widely-used switches Cisco has to offer.

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Today’s News to Start Your Day:

• Four people are set to launch to space Wednesday night aboard a SpaceX capsule, and none of them are professional astronauts. It will be the first completely private mission to orbit. 
• Colassal has landed $15m in funding to restore the wooly mammoth to the Arctic and it thinks it can birth calves in four to six years. Would you like to see one of these walking around? 
• Intuit has bought email marketing company MailChimp for $12 billion in cash and stock. 
• Google is looking to launch Gmail ‘nudges’ in Google Messages to remind you to answer your texts. Does anyone else think this would be incredibly helpful, especially on busy days?! 
• Apple has recently released an article informing those who drive powerful motorcycles that the vibrations could damage the phone’s camera system. Guess iPhones aren’t born to be wild! 

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