Archives for March 2022

Good morning and Happy Friday! We hope you’ve got some exciting weekend plans in the works. Whether that’s time outside, relaxing after a long week, or time with family – we hope it is fruitful! If there is any way we can be praying for you this weekend, let us know.

In This Issue: Yard Games | Cisco 7841 Four line Unified IP Phone | Layer 2 vs Layer 3 Switches: Which is best for your network? | News to Start Your Day

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The CK Daily – Yard Games

Happy Friday! I’m Ashley, a newbie to CK Daily! I serve alongside CablesAndKits’ marketing team and have been doing so for a little over a year.

A little bit about me – I’m originally from Georgia but have lived in Ohio for the past few years. I very recently made the transition back down to Georgia and will soon call South Carolina home, but the housing market is NUTS! Since I’ve been home, I’ve been spending quite a bit of time with my family playing yard games. One of my new favorite yard games to play with my family is Kuub (aka lawn darts). What are some of your favorite yard games?

I hope you all have a wonderful weekend!

Ashley

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Product Spotlights & Updates

The Cisco 7800 series is designed for eco-friendly businesses with energy-efficient technology to support green initiative goals. The 7800 series portfolio is ideal for mid to large-sized corporations that want to update their phone systems. Administrators have access to adjust features to save on energy consumed throughout the office. This series includes an integrated solution for occasional communication needs and is designed to improve an organization’s people-centric communications. The 7800 series also delivers advanced IP features and crystal clear wideband audio performance.

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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:

• Russian forces have seized the largest nuclear power plant in Ukraine causing a fire to break out at an adjacent training facility.
• Netflix is planning to launch its first interactive daily quiz show, Trivia Quest, on April 1st. The Trivia Crack-inspired series will present 24 multiple-choice questions around topics like art and science while weaving a narrative into the experience.
• America’s biggest new mansion, a 105,000 square-foot megamansion, was auctioned off at a bankruptcy auction for $141 million.
• Folding phones could soon be mainstream. Samsung was one of the many smartphone makers to showcase a device that can fold in various ways. Apple is set to launch a foldable iPhone with an 8-inch display in 2023.

We are one day closer to Friday and that means the weekend is just around the corner! Does anyone have big weekend plans? With the weather getting warmer by the day, we know camping adventures, boat/pool days, and family cookouts are on the horizon. 🤩

In This Issue: Remember to Rest | CAT8 Ethernet Cable | What is the difference between OS2, OM1, OM2, OM3, OM4, and OM5? | News to Start Your Day

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The CK Daily – Remember to Rest

Have you ever had those moments when you knew you needed to slow down in life or just take a rest? Yeah, me too, more times than I would like. This week has been another one of those times.

Nothing like going for a run and you feel that unique and painful tweak in your knee. I knew immediately what it was and slowed down and then stretched real good after but it didn’t ease up. I knew immediately it was an IT band issue. For a runner that is one of the worst things you can feel because you know that means no running for a while. That is where I am right now, but it is a great reminder that sometimes even when we are going hard after a goal we need to stop, rest, and take care of ourselves. It also made me question why I bought a house with stairs in it. Haha!

It is driving me nuts not being able to run this week. My virtual race through Iceland is on hold for a bit. Hopefully, I can get back at it next week, but not all of it has been bad. Through this process of slowing down and resting, I have learned a ton of new stretches to help me when I start back running (that I probably should have known and been doing anyway). What I saw as a possible stop sign is just a detour to help me be better and stronger at what I love doing.

There are a ton of areas I can apply this in my life right now. If we go go go, we wear ourselves down just like in running you can wear your muscles down if you overuse them. Sometimes we need to stop to take a rest and think about how we can be better at whatever it is and protect ourselves from issues that might pop up down the road. Well, at least I know I do.

I hope you have a fantastic Thursday and if you need to stop and rest a bit, that’s ok.

Jason

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Product Spotlights & Updates

Future proof your network with these Cat8 Ethernet cables. Our S/FTP (Each pair Foil shielded / 4 Pair Braid Shield) Booted Category 8 (Cat8) Ethernet Patch Cables are the newest addition to the network cabling family and have hit the ground running! With the ability for 40gb and 2GHz bandwidth transmission over 20 meters, these network data cables are a Data Center Manager’s dream to handle the speeds that their network and users need. These patch cables are backward compatible with both Cat6 and Cat5e, and all previous categories.

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Learning Center Article – What is the difference between OS2, OM1, OM2, OM3, OM4, and OM5?

When it comes to fiber-optic networks, there are a lot of options in how a network is designed. Ultimately, the demands of the network will determine which cable is best for any given job, but you need to have a clear understanding of the different fiber cables in order to make that decision.

While the complete list of design differences could fill several books, you can understand the key variations in design in a few minutes. This quick guide will highlight the characteristics of OS2, OM1, OM2, OM3, OM4, and OM5 fiber cables.

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Today’s News to Start Your Day:

• Amazon plans to close all locations of its Pop Up, Amazon Books, and 4-star stores due to lack of sales growth.
• Invites just went out for Apple’s next big event, scheduled for 1 PM EST on March 8. It will be an online event broadcasting from Apple Park. Anybody will be able to watch it from Apple’s website.
• Twitter is building a tab dedicated to podcasts. A recent screenshot from a reverse engineer shows a microphone icon in the Twitter app’s bottom menu bar.
• Using the most powerful telescopes on Earth and in space, a team of astronomers has found for the first time blasts of hot, warm, and cold winds from a neutron star whilst it consumes matter from a nearby star. Read more here.

Happy Ash Wednesday! Today we reflect, fast, repent and celebrate. Today marks the beginning of Lent and is always 46 days before Easter Sunday.

In This Issue: CK Giving, Right to Play | Cisco Meraki MX84 Security Appliance | Your Guide to Cisco Catalyst Switches | News to Start Your Day

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The CK Daily – CK Giving, Right to Play

We had so many incredible moments of giving and today we’re going to share Sterling’s story of why she chose Right to Play.

Sterling shared, “I wanted to give to this organization as sports is one of those things that shaped me and helped me become who I am today. This organization helps children across the globe who face hardship and challenges. For me, sports always taught me how to break boundaries and instill positive values in my life and taught me many important life lessons. One quote as reigned true to me throughout playing soccer, “I learned all about life with a ball at my feet” and I hope more people can experience something similar to as I did.”

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

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Product Spotlights & Updates

The Cisco Meraki MX family of devices are multifunctional security & SD-WAN etnerprise appliances that feature a wide range of capabilities to address a wide variety of use cases – from an all-in-one device. . Organizations of all sizes and across all industries rely on the MX to deliver secure connectivity to hub locations or multi-cloud environments, as well as application quality of experience (QoE), through advanced analytics with machine learning.

The MX is 100% cloud-managed, so installation and remote management is truly zero-touch, making it ideal for distributed branches, campuses, and data center locations. Natively integrated with a comprehensive suite of secure network and assurance capabilities, the MXeliminates the need for multiple appliances.

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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 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:

• Google-owned Fitbit is recalling its Ionic smartwatches due to a burn hazard. About 1 million Ionic watches have been sold in the U.S. and 700,000 internationally.
• Netflix has offered to buy mobile game maker Next Games, creator of the mobile game based on the show “Stranger Things.”
• Uber is adjusting the driver pay algorithm in 24 cities to let drivers see a potential ride’s destination and how much that trip will pay before accepting it. Uber is also changing the way it pays for short trips to give drivers more incentive to accept them.
• Google’s Password Manager is an ecosystem-wide service for users of Google Chrome and Android. Password Manager saves the credentials you use most and helps you log in easily while on Google Chrome. Read more here.

Happy Fat Tuesday! Have you been celebrating the Mardi Gras season? How do you celebrate? Today, enjoy your own Fat Tuesday feast, listen to some jazz music, and celebrate!

In This Issue: Intentional Prayer | Kendall Howard 2U Wall Mount V-Rack | What does 5G mean for business networks? | News to Start Your Day

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The CK Daily – Intentional Prayer

Good Morning and Happy Tuesday! I like to generally keep things light and upbeat here, but today I will echo what Cris said about how heavy things feel right now. The amount of pain, suffering and pure evil in the world is truly upsetting. My heart breaks for everyone involved in the conflict going on right now and I pray that soon there will be peace and the fighting will cease.

I don’t know about you, but with all the heavy news coming out lately I have had to take a step back and limit the amount of news coverage I take in. Part of me feels guilty about that, but I read something over the weekend that made a good point that I’ll share here. It said that for the majority of world history people were really not aware of much that was going on outside of maybe a 10-mile radius of where they lived. Nowadays, we have 24/7 news and are hyper-aware of tragic events all across the globe. We hear the news reports and we see the shocking images on our tv and computer screens daily. Images of natural disasters, war, pandemics, and so on are constantly being fed to us. While I am thankful that we do have knowledge of what happens in other regions, it also can be a lot for us to try and make sense of and a lot to bear emotionally. It can also have the effect of making us extremely fearful. The reality is that most of us aren’t experts in foreign affairs or epidemiology, but we are bombarded with information and opinions coming from all directions and it can be incredibly difficult to make sense of. I believe we should of course try to seek truth and make sense of things as best we can, but I also know how limited we are (or at least how limited I am). I know that I don’t have the power in and of myself to change things on the other side of the world, but I do have the power to pray, and prayer should never be underestimated. Instead of allowing fear, anxiety, and sadness to consume me during these turbulent times, I will do my best to channel those emotions into actively praying and being more intentional about loving my family, friends, and community well here and now!

Rebecca

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Product Spotlights & Updates

The Kendall Howard V-Rack allows users to vertically or horizontally mount servers or other rack-mountable devices regardless of depth. Designed to mount on a wall or under a desk the Kendall Howard V-Rack provides users more versatility in equipment placement.

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Learning Center Article – What does 5G mean for business networks?

There is a lot of technology generating excitement for more applications than we could hope to name. One central theme to virtually all of that technology is an increased demand on data and need of higher bandwidth for connectivity. More devices than ever are actively communicating, and they are placing massive burdens on existing infrastructure.

Copper networks and 4G wireless have a shelf life. Within the next couple of years, they will no longer be able to service standard demands — much less cutting-edge applications. Ultimately, we all need a network that is built for the new age of connectivity. That network will run on 5G.

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Today’s News to Start Your Day:

• Oil prices surged with U.S. crude hitting its highest level since July 2014 as Russia bears down on Ukraine’s capital.
• The Walt Disney Company, Sony, and Warner Bros have halted future theatrical film releases in Russia. This includes “Turning Red,” The Batman,” and “Morbius.”
• Instagram has announced that it will no longer be supporting the separate IGTV app. They will instead focus on keeping all videos in the main Instagram app.
• Following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, a Twitter post from an account named “Anonymous” summoned hackers around the world to target Russia. Subsequent posts claimed the group was responsible for pulling down websites of the Russian oil giant Gazprom, the state-controlled Russian news agency RT and numerous Russian and Belarusian government agencies.