Archives for March 2022

Happy Monday & Happy Pi Day! What a weekend. Tom Brady came out of retirement, the time changed, NCAA brackets are set, and St. Patrick’s Day is on the horizon. Raise your hand if you need another weekend after this crazy one! 🙋‍♀️

In This Issue: Preparation | Cisco Catalyst 3560 Series | 5 Tips for Choosing a Transceiver | News to Start Your Day

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The CK Daily – Preparation

Happy Pi Day! Today reminds me of the day that we were served delicious pies from Southern baked Pie Company at our company celebration! Their buttermilk pie is out of this world. Today is also a day I dread because it’s the first workday after the time change. That first Monday (probably even the first week) is the roughest. Every year I rail against the time change…I know it’s coming, but I willingly choose to ignore it and I never prepare for the inevitable loss of sleep.

I hear rumors of legislation that could be passed to abolish any time change…but I’ve been hearing that for years… I hope it passes in my lifetime!

Other than losing a bit of sleep, the weekend was very chill, both figuratively and literally (we had a bit of a cold snap, a very stark difference from last week). We mostly stayed indoors, but we did make a trip to my Sister-in-law’s house to meet my new niece that was born last Wednesday! I forgot how small newborns could be… my 2-year-old looks like a giant standing next to the baby (and my 2-year-old is small, relatively speaking).

Anyways how do you all prepare for the time change? Do you prepare at all? For those of you who are in parts of Arizona and Hawaii… consider yourself very fortunate you don’t have to deal with this anachronistic nonsense!

Cris

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Product Spotlights & Updates

The WS-C3560G-24PS-S and WS-C3560G-48PS-S switches are part of the Cisco Catalyst 3560G family of switches. This fixed-configuration, Gigabit Ethernet switches are an excellent and scalable option for small enterprise LAN access or branch-office environments. These PoE switches feature (24) or (48) Gigabit Ethernet ports as well as (4) additional SFP ports.

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Learning Center Article – How to Choose the Right Transceiver for Your Network

When you’re designing or expanding a fiber optics network, there are many things to consider. The networks grow in complication very quickly, and any miscalculation can prove expensive, if not disastrous.

So, if you’re looking for the right transceivers for your network, you have to consider all of the angles. Thankfully, that’s a lot easier if you have a quick checklist that can keep you honest. Really, you can break all of this down into five categories to remember as you browse transceivers.

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Today’s News to Start Your Day:

• Samsung has started sending out invites for its second event of the year, which is set to air online on Thursday, March 17th, 2022 at 10AM ET. It’s called the Awesome Galaxy A Event on the invite, and it’s dedicated to the phone maker’s midrange A-series devices.
• The popular Vanced YouTube app is being discontinued, after a legal threat from Google. The creators of Vanced have revealed the project will be shut down in the coming days, with download links set to be removed.
• Tom Brady reversed his decision from last month to retire and will play at least one additional season.
• The men’s NCAA tournament will kick-off on Thursday! Is your bracket ready?

Happy Friday! What a week. We hope that you all had a wonderful week and crossed everything off your to-do list! Do you have any big weekend plans? We’d love to hear about them!

In This Issue: Growth through adversity | Cisco Catalyst WS-C3750X-48PF-S | Wired vs Wireless Networks: Which is better? | News to Start Your Day

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The CK Daily – Growth through adversity

Happy Friday folks! We woke up yesterday morning to find our water heater decided it no longer wanted to hold water. It leaked through three rooms in our basement, and one of the rooms is carpeted. That’s when you know that day will not be a typical day! 😊

As we dealt with the insurance company and the clean-up team, I thought that while I prefer a “normal” day, growth seems to happen on “non-normal” days. What I mean by that is growth occurs when we face adversity. I was in a situation I had not experienced before and had to lean on others to help me through the situation. Working through this adverse situation allowed me to grow.

Where have you grown recently?

I hope you have a great weekend!

Chris

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Product Spotlights & Updates

The Cisco Catalyst WS-C3750X-48PF-S switch is an enterprise-class managed switch that offers 48 Gigabit Ethernet PoE+ ports as well as stacking capabilities. This unit includes one 1100W power supply, dual redundant modular fans, Cisco EnergyWise, StackPower, and StackWise technologies, 256 MB of RAM, and 64 MB of Flash memory.

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Learning Center Article – Wired vs Wireless Networks: Which is better?

When it comes to designing your network, you have to make one basic decision before you get to anything else. Do you want wireless connectivity? The truth is that wired and wireless networks offer significant pros and cons when compared to each other. It’s important to have a good appreciation of those pros and cons before committing to your network design or plan.

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Today’s News to Start Your Day:

• Super Nintendo World is opening in 2023 at Universal Studios Hollywood!
• Amazon stock has its second-best day of 2022 after the company announced plans to split its stock for the first time since 1999.
• MLB owners and players have reached a deal on a new labor pact. The season is now slated to start April 7th.
• Amazon grocery-picking gig workers are being offered jobs as Whole Foods store staff. They are streamlining parts of their sprawling grocery business in an effort to meet the growing demand for online orders.

You know him, you love him, and you love to help him save Princess Peach – it’s National Mario Day! What’s your favorite game, that features Mario, to play? Bonus points if you can name the first game “Mario” appeared in.

In This Issue: Disconnecting | Dell PowerEdge M620 | LACP vs PAGP | News to Start Your Day

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The CK Daily – Disconnecting

Happy Thursday!

Well, today is my Friday. I decided to take some time off and have a long weekend. I have mentioned before that I usually take a trip down to Savannah at least a few times a year. It is like a second home to me since I know the city so well and have been traveling down there for years.

It is also enjoyable for me to take new people down there that have never been before. Between the activities, restaurants, and scenery, it is an awesome place to visit and there are tons of things to do. It is fun getting to experience the city and area through new eyes and I usually find somewhere new down there that I hadn’t noticed before when I take new people. My biggest concern is the gas prices heading down and coming back, but that is all part of the trip budgeting process.

I’m looking forward to disconnecting for a few days and a change of scenery. It always does my mind and body good to get out of the normal routine of work and life and mix things up. I tend to come back refreshed and with a renewed focus on what needs to be done.

Do you have a place, like Savannah is to me, that it is just always refreshing to get away to ever so often?

I hope everyone has a great Thursday and week/weekend!

Jason

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Product Spotlights & Updates

Blade servers are specifically designed to pack a lot of power in a small space. Blade servers can be used as a dedicated server or added to a virtual environment. The user is able to condense their server footprint and easily manage multiple servers from one point. Since they are smaller in nature, they have a better overall power consumption. The Dell M620 offers scalability along with an energy-efficient server that will give you a low cost of ownership over its lifetime.

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Learning Center Article – LACP vs PAGP

When it comes to network design, there are usually multiple avenues to arrive at the same result. Any number of arrays can ultimately provide the network coverage you need, and there are always different protocols for managing and controlling networks.

A common technique that is used to increase throughput for Ethernet systems is link aggregation. This technique can increase effective transmission speeds while making a network more robust. There are a few ways to aggregate links, and two of the leading protocols are LACP and PAGP.

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Today’s News to Start Your Day:

• U.S. President Joe Biden signed an executive order on Wednesday calling on the government to examine the risks and benefits of cryptocurrencies. The measures focus on six key areas: consumer protection, financial stability, illicit activity, U.S. competitiveness, financial inclusion, and responsible innovation.
• Amazon has approved a 20-for-1 stock split. It’s the first split since 1999 and the fourth since Amazon’s IPO in 1997. The company also said its board has authorized Amazon to buy back up to $10 billion worth of shares.
• Chipotle Mexican Grill announced they are launching pollo asado as its latest limited-time menu item in the U.S. and Canada.
• Major League Baseball said the league has canceled more games, pushing Opening Day to April 14.

Happy Wednesday! As conference tournaments are well on their way, who’s counting down to Sunday when brackets are released for who’s in and who’s out in the NCAA Tournament? Who are you rooting for?

In This Issue: CK Giving | MPO-MPO, 12-Strand, OM4 | Navigating Power Cord Attributes and Terminology | News to Start Your Day

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The CK Daily – CK Giving

We had so many incredible moments of giving and today we’re going to share Avain’s story of why she chose the Siargio Relief Fund.

Avain shared, “Siargao is one of the most beautiful islands in the Philippines. It is known as the “Surfing Capital of the Philippines” and is also on my bucket list. Locals live a very simple life on this island. It breaks my heart to hear that almost 95% of all homes and structures were completely destroyed by the Typhoon just a few days before Christmas.”

Want to learn more about our giving efforts? Read more here.

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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 – Navigating Power Cord Attributes and Terminology

Navigating the jungle of terminology, acronyms, and part numbers can be daunting in the field of telecommunications. With power cables, using the wrong type can cause physical failures such as fires and electrical shock. The stakes are higher. Luckily the abundance of documentation and regulation assure that anyone seeking direction to deploy the correct cord can find the information they need to choose the right cord and avoid common pitfalls, damage, and injury that comes with electrical failure.

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Today’s News to Start Your Day:

• American drivers are now paying the most they’ve ever doled out for gasoline, with the national average reaching an all-time record of $4.17 per gallon.
• Aaron Rogers has made it official that he is coming back to the Green Bay Packers.
• Apple wrapped up its first product event of the year. They announced a new affordable iPhone, an update to the iPad Air, a new powerful Mac chip, and a new Mac Studio computer.
• PepsiCo, Coca-Cola, McDonald’s, and Starbucks are suspending business in Russia after the country’s invasion of Ukraine.

Happy International Women’s Day! Today we celebrate the social, economic, and political achievements of women around the world. There are so many incredible women in the world, we’d love for you to share

In This Issue: Finding time to Focus | Yealink UVC20 Full HD Webcam | How to future-proof your network with Cisco 8800 series phones | News to Start Your Day

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The CK Daily – Finding time to Focus

Good Morning and Happy Tuesday! Hope everyone is off to a strong start this week! The sunny and warm weather over the weekend was super nice and has me feeling recharged and ready to go! Last week I was able to take advantage of the amazing weather and go for a short evening hike. The sunset was absolutely stunning which was an added bonus to the warm weather and fresh air! While we were hiking, my friend and I got into a conversation about attention spans. We knew that people’s attention spans have been shrinking in recent years, but we were curious to see what the data says about it. As it turns out, in the year 2000 the average attention span was around 12 seconds. Today it is closer to 8 seconds which, apparently, is shorter than a goldfish which has a 9-second attention span. Although I question how we know what a goldfish’s attention span is (or why such a thing has been studied!?), using that as a comparison really drives home the point that our attention spans are short!

Learning the number is 8 seconds was kind of shocking, but when you step back and think about it, it makes total sense. We live in a world full of distractions and bite-sized nuggets of information and entertainment. If we as adults struggle to maintain focus, I can only imagine the effect that our current environment is having on kids. I’m sure it is affecting our ability to think deeply and critically about issues which seems like it would have a negative effect on our problem-solving skills in general. While learning about attention spans is mostly a curiosity for me, it also did light a bit of a fire in me to try and be more conscious of daily distractions and “fight back” in a way. I’ve reduced the number of notifications on my phone drastically, have started scheduling “focus time” at work where I don’t allow email or chat notifications to pop up, and am trying to replace a good bit of time that I would mindlessly scroll my phone with reading! It’s just a few small things, but hopefully, it will help! Do you work to limit your daily distractions? Have you found it improved your focus? I’d love to know!

Rebecca

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Product Spotlights & Updates

The Yealink UVC20 is a full HD webcam featuring both 1080P HD video and ultra HD audio. Built with a 5 megapixel full HD glass lens, this camera delivers exceptional quality video and gives users a premium desktop video experience. In addition, it features an omnidirectional microphone, auto exposure, autofocus, and a rotatable lens. This camera is perfect for those who work remotely, as well as for distance education, trainings, live-streams, telemedicine, and more.

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Learning Center Article – Difference between FCoE and FCIP

Technology is constantly evolving and advancing, and the world of VoIP phones is no exception. Voice-over-IP technology has come a long way since it was first introduced in the 1990s, and many businesses, small and large, are adopting IP phones as replacements for old analog technologies. The Cisco IP Phone 8800 Series is Cisco’s next-generation advanced VoIP phone series and is an excellent option for anyone looking to future-proof their network.

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Today’s News to Start Your Day:

• General Motors announced a pilot program in California that would make its electric vehicles capable of powering a home in the event of a power outage or grid failure.
• Google is set to acquire cybersecurity firm Mandiant for $5.4 billion.
• On a push for higher wages, smaller class sizes, and more mental health support for students, Minneapolis teachers, and educational support professionals planned to go on strike. A tentative agreement with teachers has been reached.
• Apple’s first event of 2022 is happening today! “Peek Performance” invitations have been sent out. Learn more about it here.

Today urges us to get our bowl and spoon ready to enjoy our favorite cereal to celebrate National Cereal Day! With hundreds of different types of cereal to choose from, you’re sure to find one you like! Did you know the cereal revolution began in 1854 in Akron, Ohio?! What’s your favorite cereal?

In This Issue: Get Outside! | Cisco 10GBase-SR SFP+ Module | Difference between FCoE and FCIP | News to Start Your Day

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The CK Daily – Get Outside!

Happy Monday!

The weekend was very pleasant in our neck of the woods. Aside from getting our normal weekend stuff accomplished, we decided to go to a local park for a picnic and to let the kids run around in the playground. Weekends like this are a rare treat as we don’t have to deal with a deluge of pollen, mosquitos, monsoon-like rain, and oppressing heat! It sounds like I’m being dramatic…but Georgia weather seems to be a bit erratic at times.

I’ve noticed lately that the news and media were negatively affecting my personal well-being and this weekend I tried my best to take a media fast. I did my best not to intentionally watch the news and all of the sensationalism that comes with it this weekend. I don’t think being fully disconnected from the news all the time is a great idea but limiting it may be helpful (at least from my perspective). I was definitely less anxious and more present when I took a break from watching and reading the news.

Anyways I hope you all have a great week and if the weather permits you to step outside, I encourage you to take a break and enjoy what nature has to offer.

Cris

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Product Spotlights & Updates

The Cisco SFP-10G-SR module gives you a wide variety of 10 Gigabit Ethernet connectivity options for your data center, enterprise wiring closet, and service provider transport applications. This module boasts a variety of features and benefits, including being the industry’s smallest form factor, which results in the greatest density per chassis.

The SFP-10G-SR is hot-swappable and can be switched out with ease, making upgrades and maintenance easy. Cisco 10GBASE-SR SFP+ modules also feature Digital Optical Monitoring (DOM) functionality, which allows you to monitor the signal strength, the temperature of the SFP, and the transceiver voltage.

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Learning Center Article – Difference between FCoE and FCIP

When it comes to building connections between fiber channels and Ethernet, you have a few different options. Two of them are FCoE and FCIP. These represent dramatically different approaches to creating and maintaining cross-system communications, and it’s important to understand each of them in order to inform any networking decisions you make down the line.

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Today’s News to Start Your Day:

• Disney announced a new ad-supported tier for its Disney+ streaming service that will be available for a lower cost.
• “The Batman” generated $128.5 million in ticket sales over the weekend, tallying the second-highest domestic opening of the pandemic era.
• Netflix has officially confirmed it is pulling its service in Russia following the country’s invasion of Ukraine.
• Want to know who won what at the 2022 Film Independent Sprit Awards? You can find all of the winners here.