Archives for January 2022

Happy Monday! Did anyone else enjoy a solid weekend of football? 🏈 Is your team heading to the Superbowl? I’m not sure about you, but I’m excited to see all of the new Superbowl commercials!

In This Issue: House Plants | Kendall Howard Cable Cove 2-Post Rack | News to Start Your Day

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The CK Daily – House Plants

Good Monday morning! (or afternoon or evening), I recently purchased some house plants to liven up my office a bit and bring in some fresh air. I got three cat-safe plants to put on a shelf I set up in front of my window. They include some pretty trippy names: Rabbit’s Foot Fern (Humata tyermanii), Purple Waffle (Hemigraphis alternata), and a Nerve Plant (Fittonia argyroneura). This is my first venture in owning my house plants. My wife has the green thumb in the family, and she has a ton of orchids, violets, and aloe she takes care of; I’ll be leaning on her to help guide me through the process!

I thought about it for a bit and taking care of houseplants is sort of an analogous of what I do day to day in product marking. In order to flourish, plants require the right amount of exposure (in product that would be eyeballs on the product instead of light), good soil and nutrients (good and accurate content), optimal temperature (the right price), a balanced amount of moisture (taking in balanced customer feedback, Q&As, and reviews), and a proper container (a proper channel in our case our website, Amazon, and other marketplaces). While this is by no means perfect, I think it does a good job highlighting some of the key factors in helping customers choose the right products at the right prices.

I haven’t named my plants yet and my family is not very creative with naming. My cats are named after places that we’ve rescued them – Highway was found on the side of a highway, Bushes was found in the bushes in front of my church, Porch was found left in front of my in-law’s front porch, and our last cat Castle… well we didn’t name her, she was found in an abandoned home (I guess you could say it was a castle). Anyways… you get the point… I could use some help naming my plants! I don’t think Rabbit, Purple, and Nerve will cut it this time haha!

Cris

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Product Spotlights & Updates

The Kendall Howard Cable Cove 2-Post Rack is not only a great way to mount your components but also an inexpensive wire management system as well. These racks are excellent for wire cabinets, telephonic devices, and general network components.

Each rack post has a generous 4-inch internal cove for cabling. The side panels have routing holes and ganging holes to mount multiple units together. The rails have universal mounting holes that are compatible with virtually every cage nut size available on the market today. These racks can be freestanding or bolted to the floor (floor mount hardware not included).

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Learning Center Article – WiFi 6: the next generation of Wifi technology

Wi-Fi 6 is here. Even while 5G, Ethernet 8, and many other communication protocols and standards are revolutionizing the digital age, Wi-Fi 6 is a big deal that will transform networking in countless applications. Read more here about the next generation of Wifi technology.

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Today’s News to Start Your Day:

• The LA Rams and Cincinnati Bengals are heading to the Superbowl. Who are you rooting for?
• After arriving in November, the ‘Encanto’ soundtrack has reached its way to No. 1 on the Billboard chart.
• Paul Rudd and Seth Rogen are back in action to sell us potato chips. Did you catch a glimpse of the teaser commercial?
• Buccaneers Quarter Back, Tom Brady is planning to retire from the NFL after 22 seasons.

Happy Friday! Can you believe the month is almost over? Where has the time gone?! What has been your favorite memory from this month?

In This Issue: Coming Together for Something Greater | CAT6A Shielded Ethernet Patch Cable | News to Start Your Day

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The CK Daily – Coming Together for Something Greater

Happy Friday!

January is nearly behind us! And I’m shocked at just how fast January is passing this year.

I want to share a feel-good story that occurred over the last week. After the Kansas City Chiefs beat the Buffalo Bills, Chiefs fans started a campaign to donate money to the Oishei Children’s Hospital in Buffalo. So far, over $300,000 has been donated! I love watching football, but causes like this rise above football and bring us together.

These campaigns seem to have started in 2017 when a Buffalo Bills fan kicked off a campaign to get fans to donate to charities supported by opposing teams.

I’m reminded of 1 John 3:17, which says, “If anyone has this world’s goods and sees his brother in need but closes his eyes to his need — how can God’s love reside in him?”

I’ll close with this. Are there needs where you are that you can meet?

Have a great weekend!

Chris

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Product Spotlights & Updates

Our 10 foot Shielded Snagless Category 6A (Cat6A) Ethernet Patch Cables have molded boots to prevent the cable from catching when pulled through tight spaces. Built to last, our high-quality Ethernet cables are pure copper for maximum throughput and reliability. Individually bagged and labeled in retail packaging, these Cat6A cables are easy to store and the length and type is easily identifiable.

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Learning Center Article – Basics of MPO/MTP Fiber Cables

Fiber optic cables drive modern communication. They are the only viable means for arranging the ultra-high-speed systems that run the backbones of digital communication. Long-range internet connectivity is dominated by fiber optic cables. Perhaps more importantly, the massive data processing that goes on at data centers does the majority of the workload for internet communications and digital information handling.

Read more here to learn about the basics of fiber cables.

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Today’s News to Start Your Day:

• iOS 15.4 beta released a new option to enable Face ID when wearing a mask without the need to have an Apple Watch.
• Google’s new Offer tab in the Google Play Store is live.
• In November, Microsoft fended off the biggest distributed denial-of-service attack ever: a torrent of junk data with a throughput of 3.47 terabytes per second.
• A blizzard warning has been issued for areas along the east coast.

No worries if today isn’t your birthday, anniversary or wedding day – you can still enjoy a delicious slice of chocolate cake because it’s National Chocolate Cake Day. Are you a chocolate cake with chocolate frosting person, or a chocolate cake with vanilla frosting?

In This Issue: Back at it! | Cisco 3800 Series Router | News to Start Your Day

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The CK Daily – Back at it!

Good morning! Thank goodness it is Thursday!

This week has been nuts! We have a lot of awesome things going on here at CK and it is keeping us all super busy. The past two weeks have made it feel like every day has been non-stop. It could be all of the new projects with it being the beginning of a new year, it could be that this has just been a crazy busy January or both.

Last week, I jumped headfirst back into running. I haven’t really run, like real running, in several months. Between the house stuff, work, the weather, being sick, and just not wanting to, I just haven’t had it in me to do it. I thought about it several times but I have just been a bum with it. That was until several of my neighbors wanted to create a running group for the neighborhood. That really piqued my interest and I figured it would be a great way to hold myself and for them to hold me accountable at the same time.

It has worked! I am nowhere near where I used to be with my stamina, distance, or time, but it is a step in the right direction. I have slept better, been more energetic, had more thinking/quiet time, and just felt better overall (besides being sore…haha!). Plus, it has been great getting to know some of my new neighbors better and hanging out with them. We had a great run last night, and I am looking forward to the next one.

I hope y’all have a great Thursday and make the most of it!

Jason

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Product Spotlights & Updates

Cisco builds on its industry-standard line of Integrated Services Routers with the 3800 series. These routers offer superior scalability and investment protection through its built-in modular design. Application Layer functions, intelligent network services, and converged communications all combine to provide a truly seamless, robust, intelligent routing solution. With added support for over 90 new and existing modules, the Cisco 3800 series will lower your TCO (total cost of ownership) while providing a voice, data, and security backbone for today’s growing business network infrastructure needs.

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Learning Center Article – What Are Console Cables and 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. Read more about console cables and what they are used for here.

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Today’s News to Start Your Day:

• A sleep hack developed by the military to make you fall asleep in under 2 minutes has gone viral on TikTok.
• Apple has plans for a new service that would help small businesses collect payments using an iPhone.
• A recent breakthrough has resulted in a frog’s missing leg being regrown by the use of a chemical cocktail.
• Current stocks making the biggest moves are Comcast, McDonald’s, Blackstone, Netflix, Tractor Supply, Tesla, and Intel.

Happy Wednesday! We’ve made it to the middle of the week and we hope it’s been a good one. Do you have a goal you’re trying to achieve this week?

In This Issue: See you soon! | MPO, 12-Strand, OM4 | News to Start Your Day

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The CK Daily – See you soon!

Happy Wednesday!

Well, the time has come, and I have entered my last week of work before I deliver my second child. I always say the time has flown by, but this pregnancy has gone by in the blink of an eye.

As I’ve prepared for my leave, I have spent a lot of time nesting in my home as well as working to ensure that everything is ready! My husband has rearranged a lot of furniture on the personal front, and I’ve rearranged and edited lots of process documents for the customer solutions and customer experience team.

As much as I am excited to take a break away from work, I am equally nervous as I am a bit of a worrier when I’m not directly involved. Our CK President, Chris McCoy likes to say, as a leader sometimes we can’t see what needs to be fixed or worked on until we take a step away and let the team run. When we, as leaders, take a vacation it allows the team to run as it should and issues may make themselves apparent which in turn will help us understand what needs to be “fixed”. Although I hope everything runs smoothly, I am anxious to find out what I can do to help the team run even more efficiently to serve each of you. I don’t expect anything to change while away. If anything, I think the team is going to be so much stronger once I return!

See you in a few weeks!

Shanyce

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Product Spotlights & Updates

Our MPO Essentials line of fiber cables feature high-quality, precision-built connectors that ensure secure connections for stable transmission with minimal optical loss. This female to female cable features 12 strands of laser-optimized cable that allows you to drastically increase your network bandwidth. Additionally, this cable is made with a durable, Low Smoke Zero Halogen (LSZH) jacket. As with all of our products, these cables come with a Lifetime Advanced Replacement Warranty meaning that you can purchase risk-free knowing your satisfaction is guaranteed!

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Learning Center Article – What is a Cat8 Ethernet Cable and How is it Different?

We were told that Ethernet was going to be a thing of the past. Google tried to make fiber optics the new standard for home internet connections, and it was an obvious choice for scaling industrial applications. Somehow, Ethernet has hung in there, and new iterations arise every few years that continue to push the envelope of traditional copper wires.

In this article, we cover the latest iteration: Cat8. We’re going to start with the basics, but in a few short minutes, you’ll have a clear picture of what Cat8 is, how it works and why you need to be thinking about it.

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Today’s News to Start Your Day:

• Mattel has won the license to make toys based on Walt Disney’s princess lineup.
• Bentley Motors plans to spend $3.4 billion over the next decade to become a fully electric luxury brand by 2030.
• College seniors fix erosion in New Orleans by resuming citywide bottle recycling to crush them for sand.
• Pfizer and BioNTech started clinical trials for an Omicron-specific vaccine.

Can you believe it’s almost the end of the month? The time is flying by. What’s something you’re grateful for that has happened so far in 2022?

In This Issue: Gardening Tips | Cisco 3850 Series PoE+ 48 Port Switch | News to Start Your Day

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The CK Daily – Gardening Tips

Good Morning and Happy Tuesday! Hope everyone had an awesome weekend and is off to a great start this week! We had a short discussion here at CK yesterday about how there are lots of empty shelves at grocery stores these days (we specifically were bummed that we couldn’t find frozen potato products… no fries or crispy crowns – such a shame!).

With all the uncertainty and shortages, it kind of got me thinking that it might not be the worst time to try growing a small garden! It’s something I have thought about doing for years, but I think this is the year where I’ll actually go for it! Considering that I have zero experience, I won’t try to go overboard, but if I could grow a few vegetables and maybe a little fruit (blueberries sound good!), I’d be happy!

Have you ever tried to grow a garden? Let me know if you have a green thumb and have any tips or recommendations on what to grow!

Rebecca

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Product Spotlights & Updates

The Cisco 3850 Series of switches is an industry-leading, enterprise-class series of access switches that offers superior performance, scalability, and reliability. The Catalyst 3850 Series is the first to feature a built-in wireless controller with up to 40 Gbps of capacity on 48-port models. Further, it supports up to 100 access points and 2,000 wireless clients per switching entity (or stack). These switches are stackable up to 9 members and come equipped with Cisco’s popular StackPower technology.

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Learning Center Article – Managed vs Unmanaged Switches: Which do you need?

Switches are one of the core pieces of almost any major network. They manage traffic routing for Ethernet-connected devices. As such, they provide stable, fast means of communication for any device across the network.

If you run a business network, you’ll need some kind of switch, and when you look into it, you’ll find that there are two competing types of switches: managed and unmanaged. Here’s a quick breakdown of each type of switch to help you determine the best for you!

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Today’s News to Start Your Day:

• No need to sharpen your No. 2 pencils, the SAT will soon be taken exclusively on a computer.
• Amy Schneider is continuing her historic run on “Jeopardy” after setting a new record for the second-longest winning streak when she won her 39th consecutive game on Monday night.
• Sony Music Entertainment has acquired the entire recorded music catalog of Bob Dylan.
• Philips Hue announced three new outdoor smart lights and new features for its app.

Happy Monday! Has anyone told you you’re doing a great job, lately? Today is National Compliment Day, so take it from us when we say you are killing it.

In This Issue: Celebrating Turning Two! | Cisco 100G and 40GBASE SR QSFP Transceiver Module | News to Start Your Day

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The CK Daily – Celebrating Turning Two!

Merry Monday! The weekend passed with a blur. We celebrated my youngest daughter’s birthday and had a small get together. It’s hard to believe that she’s already two years old. The amount of growth between the ages of one and two are just astonishing. We were measuring her height from the last year (we take a measurement against a wall every month) and you could see the major height difference between when she turned one to when she turned two. It’s been an absolute blink and you’ll miss it moment.

I guess you could say she has leveled up to become a toddler. With that comes a new set of challenges. I’ve experienced the terrible two’s before, but I don’t think you could ever really prepare for it. Every kid is different. For example, instead of listening to the Frozen soundtrack a million times, we’ve listened to Baby Shark at least two million times. The original video on YouTube has 10 billion views (no joke!)… and I’m sure my family has greatly contributed to that number.

It’s weird to think about how all she’s known her entire life is this COVID world. My hope for her is that the pandemic will end before her third birthday and that she has the opportunity to experience the world post-COVID. I think we’re all ready for that to happen.

Cris

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Product Spotlights & Updates

The Cisco QSFP-40/100-SRBD is an extremely versatile dual-rate bidirectional (BiDi) QSFP28 transceiver module. It is capable of providing 40GBase-SR or 100GBase-SR throughput using multi-mode fiber (MMF).

This module is an excellent way for customers to utilize their current 10G LC duplex MMF cabling infrastructure while migrating to 40G or 100G Ethernet connectivity.

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Learning Center Article – Layer 2 vs Layer 3 Switches: Which is best for your network?

When it comes to network switches, you have a lot of options. Finding the perfect switch for every occasion can be a monstrous task. Sometimes, the easiest way to find a good choice is to take a step back and learn more about the primary differences that exist between switches.

One major difference that you will see is the OSI connection layer. Most of the switches you will see will be labeled as either Layer 2 or Layer 3. When you take a deeper look at the key aspects of each layer, you can make an informed decision that ensures you have the right equipment for the job at hand.

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Today’s News to Start Your Day:

• Apple will continue to waive the in-app purchase requirement for online group and event apps until June.
• Dylan Sadiq became the College Cuber last year after he started creating mosaics of famous athletes using cubes. It’s estimated he will make $100,000 is sales this year.
• The State Department has ordered families of U.S embassy employees in Kyiv, Ukraine, to leave the country.
• Omicron is continuing to put pressure on the U.S. food system. Staff shortages and supply-chain issues are leading to gaps on grocery-store shelves.