Archives for April 2022

Happy Wednesday and Happy National Scrabble Day! Are you a Scrabble fan? If you play Scrabble, you know it’s the most satisfying feeling to get a “bingo” in a game. What’s your best “bingo” word?!

In This Issue: Preparing Your Heart | Dell PowerEdge T620 | Throughput vs DRAM and Flash Specs | News to Start Your Day

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The CK Daily – Preparing Your Heart

Good morning!

For the past two weeks, I’ve spent some time with my grandparents in the Florida Keys! If you’ve never been, highly recommend!

Over the past two weeks, I’ve watched the sunset daily, in awe of the beautiful earth we live on. I’ve spent some time walking along the shoreline, collecting shells and taking in every ounce of sea life possible. And lastly, I’ve spent a pretty significant amount of time in prayer thinking and reflecting on the death, burial and resurrection of Jesus.

At the beginning of the week, I was challenged to treat this week different than any other week. To find a way, each day, that is different than my normal routine – to truly spend time in prayer and reflection. We’re halfway through the week, but I challenge you to do the same. Whether that’s more intentional prayer time, journaling, a daily family devotional, etc. I hope that you will find a way to be more intentional this week and prepare your heart to embrace the joy He has provided to us through his sacrifice.

Ashley

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Product Spotlights & Updates

Gain next-generation speed and versatility with the Dell™ PowerEdge™ T620 tower, fully equipped with high performance and availability with built-in room for growth. With its Intel® Xeon® E5-2600 processors, outstanding virtualization and database performance are assured. Finish your most demanding applications efficiently fast. The T620 has the capability of handling large workloads and key applications.

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Learning Center Article – Throughput vs DRAM and Flash Specs

When it comes to designing and managing networks, there is an endless challenge of trying to improve performance. Inevitably, that includes upgrading and replacing hardware. When you research hardware for upgrades and replacements, you’ll see a lot of different tech specs listed in the descriptions.

Two common terms that come up are throughput and bandwidth. You’ll see bandwidth more in advertising spaces, and you’ll see throughput more when you look up real-world tests of the hardware. Why is throughput so important? Why don’t you see more about flash specs?

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Today’s News to Start Your Day:

• The U.S. State Department has ordered all non-emergency government staff and their family members in Shanghai to leave as Covid surges.
• Lululemon will debut a trade-in and resale option for its gently used leggings, tops and jackets later this month.
• Chrome has 3.2 billion users worldwide and now every single one of them needs to act because Google has confirmed multiple new hacks of its browser.
• A SpaceX Crew Dragon safely delivered four private astronauts—not affiliated with any space agency—to the International Space Station this past Saturday.

Happy Tuesday! It’s national grilled cheese day and why wouldn’t we talk about bread grilled to perfection, and warm, gooey, melted cheese?! Any grilled cheese fans out there?

In This Issue: Indoor Camping | HP DL560 Generation 9 | Wifi 6 vs WiFi 6E | News to Start Your Day

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The CK Daily – Indoor Camping

Good Morning and Happy Tuesday! I don’t how the weather was over the weekend where you are, but around here it was downright COLD! Lows were in the 30s and highs were only in the 50s, but the wind was so strong it felt much colder. Unlike Cris, I wasn’t brave enough to go camping outdoors over the weekend, but I did have my niece and nephew over for a little “indoor camping”. They spent the night on Friday and we set up air mattresses in the family room and enjoyed a movie night with popcorn and candy! We watched Dennis the Menace (yep, the one from 1993) and they absolutely loved it. It’s a classic for sure! On Saturday we decided to try our hand at bowling which was a lot of fun! They did great!

While I was bummed that we didn’t get to spend much time outside, I’m hoping that this was our last blast of cold for the season! We are all ready for some fresh air and sunshine!

Rebecca

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Product Spotlights & Updates

HP DL560 Generation 9 servers come with everything you need for increased performance, scalability, and reliability in your data-intensive network! These 2U rackmount servers come with four Intel® Xeon® E5-4600 v3 and v4 processors and also feature 48 DIMMS of DDR4 RAM. These servers give you the processing power and memory you need to optimize your network.

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Learning Center Article – Wifi 6 vs WiFi 6E

Wi-Fi is ever-present in the modern world. You need it, and you can’t get away from it, and since everyone uses it, Wi-Fi networks get very crowded. Wi-Fi 6 was designed to help alleviate this crowding, and it works. Now, Wi-Fi 6E is available, and it offers dramatic improvements in this regard.

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Today’s News to Start Your Day:

• The U.S. Department of Education is moving to pull millions of federal student loan borrowers out of default status and mark their accounts as current.
• Panera Bread is piloting Miso Robotics’ new automated coffee brewing system as it doubles down on its coffee and tea subscription program.
• Etsy sellers are acting on their promise to go on strike. Some crafters are protesting the marketplace’s latest fee increase by putting their shops into “vacation mode” for a week ending April 18th.
• Beyond Meat is expanding distribution of its meatless chicken tenders to 8,000 new grocery, pharmacy and big-box retail locations.

Happy Monday and Happy Pet Day! Today is the perfect day to show your pets more love and maybe even give them a few extra treats. Send in all the pet photos today – we can’t wait to see them!

In This Issue: Family Camping Trips! | Cisco Catalyst 6500 Series | Understanding the Differences Between MPO and MTP Fiber | News to Start Your Day

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The CK Daily – Family Camping Trips!

Happy Holy Week!

I’m happy to report we survived our camping trip, and everyone had a great time! The first day was a bit dodgy as there were some massive storms in our area, but we were fortunate enough to be able to set up camp before the storms hit. At our campsite, it didn’t rain until midnight, so we were able to enjoy our first day without any issues. The storms that night were both beautiful and terrifying, but my daughters slept through them, and for the most part, I enjoyed the light show that was happening outside. The tent held up well and didn’t experience any leaks.

The only thing we did not anticipate was how cold it would get at night. We knew it would be cold, but for whatever reason didn’t realize how cold it would actually be around 2 or 3 in the morning. Luckily I packed quite a few large hot hands (chemical hand warmers) and threw a bunch of those under our blankets and that seemed to have helped a ton. Next time we’ll bring more blankets than we think we need!

It was nice to disconnect for a few days and spend time with the family. Happy to report that this won’t be our last family camping trip. We’re already talking about possibly having another adventure in the summer… but I’m not looking forward to the heat! Hope you all have a great week and enjoy the spring… I encourage you to try camping with your family, even if it’s a short trip!

Cris

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Product Spotlights & Updates

The Inline Power 10/100BaseT Ethernet switching module enables the Catalyst 6500/6000 family to be the first platform in the industry that can support new Fast Ethernet features necessary for campus network convergence. You can use this module to supply inline power for Cisco IP Phones and Cisco Wireless Access Points supplied with Fast Ethernet.

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Learning Center Article – Understanding the Differences Between MPO and MTP Fiber

When designing high-bandwidth fiber communication systems, you have to pick from a wide range of tools and resources. Optimizing the system is the key to providing the needed performance within budget constraints.

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Today’s News to Start Your Day:

• A deadly and highly infectious avian flu is forcing U.S. farmers to kill millions of egg-laying hens, reducing the country’s egg supply and driving up prices.
• The Spanish Civil Guard says it is investigating a person who owned a private taxidermy collection with more than 1,000 animals, including some that are protected or extinct species.
• Target has a new landing page on resale site, ThredUp, which features items from its private labels and limited-time designer collections along with select items from luxury brands.
• Apple will offer free broadcasts of two exclusive MLB games per week on Apple TV+ starting Friday.

Happy Friday! We hope you enjoyed Opening Day! The weekend is here – do you have plans? Looks like a cold front is moving through the southeast, so hopefully, it’s still pretty enough to enjoy some time outside!

In This Issue: Hiding Places | LINIER Economy 2U Rack Shelf | Why would you use shielded Ethernet Cables? | News to Start Your Day

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The CK Daily – Hiding Places

Happy Friday, folks! Have you ever gotten a big bag of your favorite candy? Or maybe some lovely chocolates? And, did the thought run through your mind that perhaps you want to keep this all for yourself, so you decided to hide it from everyone else in the house?

🙋‍♂️ I’ll be the first to raise my hand! I tend to put stuff in places that aren’t nearly as stealthy as I would like. My wife, on the other hand, is great at hiding candy from all of us! I recently asked where she had hidden something. Her reply surprised me! She had hidden it inside the luggage in the closet in MY office. I thought that was an ingenious place to put it. No one touches the luggage until we’re close to a trip, so there’s never a reason to look there. The real question is, how long before our kids find this new hiding place?

So what creative ways have you found to hide candy from your kids?

Have a great weekend!

Chris

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Product Spotlights & Updates

The LINIER Economy Rack Mount Shelves are a great way to store your non-rack mountable components. Our shelves are suitable for monitors, modems, DSL routers, backup units, and virtually anything you can think of. This rack is one of our value-line shelves and was designed to accommodate any standard 19″ rack. Made in the USA.

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Learning Center Article – Why would you use shielded Ethernet Cables?

Currently, the use of high bandwidth applications has been on the rise, and network systems have started venturing into factory environments which have called for the use of shielded cables. In this new installation sector, the cable is used in areas with high electromagnetic interference (EMI). Even with improved ability to reject noise and handle gigabit Ethernet, these cables will not function properly in areas where there is high EMI if not properly shielded.

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Today’s News to Start Your Day:

• Opening Day of the 2022 MLB season is in the rearview mirror, but plenty of teams are still set to make their debut on the diamond. Read more about it here.
• Tiger Woods teed off in the Masters for the first time since his accident in February 2021.
• Jeep has redesigned an all-electric concept version of its flagship Wrangler. This new version is set to go from 0-60 mph is just 2 seconds.
• HBO Max is following through on promises to overhaul its underwhelming smart TV apps. The new version should reach your TV starting next week.

Happy Thursday! Today is the perfect day to take a break from sweeping, dusting, or doing any dishes. It’s National No Housework Day! Dirty windows? They will wait one more day. The vacuum can remain banished to the closet. And mopping? Well, tomorrow it’s a date.

In This Issue: Eating Habits | Display Port to HDMI Converter | Top 5 Reasons Why Your Network Needs A Firewall | News to Start Your Day

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The CK Daily – Eating Habits

Happy Thursday!

I hope all of you are having a fantastic week and being productive (unless your kids are on Spring Break and you are on vacation, then I hope you are finding time to relax…if that is possible. Haha!) It has been a pretty busy week here between the new website, starting a new month, and just balancing life. Of course, that is probably every day, every week.

Working out has always been my “go-to” stress-reliever and way to relax. It has been a great week with it. One thing I am working on starting this month is my eating habits. I can work out like crazy and do great but when it comes to eating healthy or even just eating right…I am not too disciplined with that. I don’t want to do something that is unattainable or something that I am going to get frustrated with and sabotage myself quickly. I am easing in by trying to eat a more balanced lunch and dinner, along with cutting out a good bit of my sweets. I found these awesome smaller dinners by Healthy Choice called Power Bowls. They have been amazing! Lots of flavor and a huge variety of types. They also are balanced with carbs and have a good bit of protein. I have been very surprised by them. I am hoping these help and I can stick with them. So, along with these, I am trying to eat more salads and veggies, which I really like anyway. I also came across an awesome recipe for no-bake energy bites. These have helped when I wanted something sweet but didn’t want to just sit down and eat a whole thing of chocolate chip cookies. I am sure eating right will help with working out and running too.

As with any habit change, I know it takes the right mindset and some determination. Knowing the long-term benefits of eating better and that this will help me achieve my goals has helped me stay in the right frame of mind.

If you have any good recipes or ideas for eating better and more healthy, please send them my way!

Have a great Thursday and rest of the week!

Jason

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Product Spotlights & Updates

This display port to HDMI converter will take a dual-mode Display Port signal and convert that signal to standard HDMI v1.3. This converter handles all the switching necessary to accept AC coupled signals and is handled automatically. The lead on this adapter is 6″ making it ideal for compact, tight instillations.

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Learning Center Article – Top 5 Reasons Why Your Network Needs A Firewall

It takes a lot to truly secure a business network. If your business is notably successful, then this is doubly true. Nefarious people will want to infiltrate your tech in order to steal money or just wreak havoc. Stopping them isn’t easy, but the first step is to set up a firewall. In fact, there are five specific ways a firewall can help your business.

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Today’s News to Start Your Day:

• A subsidiary of one of the largest U.S. wind energy companies has been sentenced to probation and ordered to pay over $8 million in fines and restitution after at least 150 eagles were killed at its wind farms in eight states.
• Google Maps is getting an update that includes toll pricing and other route information! Read more here.
• The U.S. Navy plans to decommission nine ships in the Freedom class of littoral combat ships — warships that cost about $4.5 billion to build.
• Perched approximately 200 meters (650 feet) above Beverly Hills, California, is a European-flavored residence that recently hit the market for $87 million. Past its gates, a 700-foot private drive hugs the mountainside as it leads up a steep incline to reveal a dramatic, 7.8-acre estate.

Happy Wednesday and Happy National Walking Day! Today is the perfect day to head outside and get your legs and heart pumping. Do you have a favorite trail or path you like to walk on?

In This Issue: Puppy Training | Cisco 2960-X Series | Do I need the latest server? | News to Start Your Day

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The CK Daily – Puppy Training

Good morning! Can you believe it’s already April?! Where has the time gone?! I ended March and kicked off the beginning of April with a new puppy. Meet Remi! Our 4 lb 2 oz ball of fluff.

We are in full swing training mode with him. Potty training has been a tough cookie to navigate but he’s learning. He loves toys, playing with our cat, and because we’ve done some recent traveling, the ocean! He went on his first kayaking adventure, and he loved it!

Anyways, I’m on the hunt for any and all training tips! How did you train your pup? I’d love to hear your secrets!

Ashley

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Product Spotlights & Updates

If your business is looking for enterprise-level functionality without the enterprise-level budget, a refurbished Cisco Catalyst 2960-X-48FPD-L switch may be the right choice for you. With 740W of available PoE+ power and 48 available ports, this switch offers stackable Gigabit Ethernet in a fixed configuration. Switches in the 2960-X family, like the refurbished WS-C2960X-48FPD-L, are made to operate efficiently and deploy with ease.

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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.

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Today’s News to Start Your Day:

• Uber is driving ahead with its plan to become a travel “superapp”. The San Francisco-headquartered firm announced Wednesday that it is adding trains, buses, planes, and car rentals to its U.K. app this year.
• The UK has detected a new Covid variant.
• This daughter and father duo founded a company to bury nuclear waste by drilling a deep borehole. Read more here.
• Two of naturalist Charles Darwin’s notebooks that were reported stolen from Cambridge University’s library have been returned, two decades after they disappeared. The university said Tuesday that the manuscripts were left in the library inside a pink gift bag, along with a note wishing the librarian a Happy Easter.