Archives for June 2022

Happy Hump Day! Wishing you a successful week of checking off all the boxes on your to-do list and a fruitful week of work!

In This Issue: Gardening Tips | Kendall Howard 15U, 18″ Deep, Open Wall Rack | Autonomous vs Lightweight Access Points | News to Start Your Day

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The CK Daily – Gardening Tips

Happy Wednesday all! We’ve officially kicked off the summer – who’s excited?! I hope your summer is full of adventure and joy.

So far this summer (I know it’s only been one day lol), I’ve spent quite a while on a scavenger hunt in our garden. It is thriving!! Our cucumber plants are loving life – so much that if we eat another cucumber, we might just turn into one! I love a classic sliced cucumber with a tad bit of salt on top, but I need some new ways to enjoy these, so please send all of your favorite recipes.

Did you plant a garden this year? How’s it doing? What’s thriving? Send all tips and tricks my way, would love to share them!

Ashley

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Product Spotlights & Updates

This Kendall Howard 15U Open Frame Wall Rack is slightly larger than its 8U counterpart and is designed to give you additional space for all of your equipment. The same open-frame concept allows quick and easy access to both sides of your units and provides optimal airflow. The unit comes with 25 rack screws and can be quickly assembled or taken down. If you have a little more verticle room, this unit is ideal for closet installations and areas where floor space is at a premium.

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Learning Center Article – Autonomous vs Lightweight Access Points

When you design a wireless network, you need to have all of your options available from the beginning. When you know what choices exist, you can select from them and make the best network possible.

In that spirit, it can help to understand the primary difference in types of access points. For the most part, a wireless access point can be autonomous or lightweight. This article will go over the main distinctions between these access points and how they can be advantageous or disadvantageous, depending on your network’s design and purpose.

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Today’s News to Start Your Day:

• Afghanistan was rocked by its deadliest earthquake in decades on Wednesday when a magnitude 5.9 earthquake struck the country’s east, killing more than 1,000 people and wounding many more.
• Volvo Trucks have begun to test vehicles that use “fuel cells powered by hydrogen,” claiming their range could extend to as much as 1,000 kilometers or a little over 621 miles.
• An assistant working at a British library said she was stunned when a man returned a book that had been checked out in 1969. Marina Rees, a library assistant at the Shrewsbury Library in Shrewsbury, Shropshire, England, said in a video posted to the library’s Facebook page that a man came in Monday to return a book he said was “rather overdue” — about 53 years.
• A total of 14,299 people gathered in Mexico City’s central square to break a Guinness World Record for the largest boxing lesson. The participants were issued red, white or green T-shirts and split into sections of the square, known as the Zocalo, so they formed the image of a giant Mexican flag.

Good morning & happy 1st day of summer! Even though we’ve been dealing with the heat for quite a while, today we can officially kick-off being out of school and let the pool days commence.

In This Issue: Penny Traps! | MPO-MPO, 12-Strand, OS | What does 5G mean for business networks? | News to Start Your Day

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The CK Daily – Penny Traps!

Good Morning and Happy Tuesday! We finally got a small reprieve from the absolutely scorching temperatures these past few days and I’ve thoroughly enjoyed it! Yesterday I actually took my laptop outside and worked for a while from the back patio. It was really nice to get some fresh air and sunshine! I’d really like to start spending more time out there but there is one small (yet extremely annoying) issue that has made me hesitant lately… overly aggressive flies. I have no idea where they are coming from or why they are so aggressive, but it seems that every time I try to spend any time out there I get relentlessly dive-bombed.

Yesterday I decided to google for some tips on how to make this problem go away and I read one that sounded absolutely crazy, but I decided to try it because there was nothing to lose if it didn’t work! So, here’s the super random tip that absolutely no one asked for, but maybe it will help you if you are dealing with the same problem!

The instructions said to either grab several glass drinking glasses or several zip lock bags and fill them 3/4 of the way full with water, then drop 4-5 pennies in each. It said to set them out either on the table where you’re sitting or somewhere close by and somehow they are supposed to help keep flies away. I know, it sounds ridiculous. But, again, I had nothing to lose by trying it, so I did… and would you believe me if I told you I only got dive-bombed once in the span of about 30 min? I don’t know if the flies were busy harassing someone else, just having an “off day”, or if the trick worked but I’m sharing this on the chance that the pennies were the game changer!

Rebecca

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Product Spotlights & Updates

Our MPO Essentials line of fiber cables features 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 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 for data and the need for 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:

• Kellogg announced that it plans to separate into three independent public companies, sectioning off its iconic brands into distinct snacking, cereal and plant-based companies.
• Signify announced a new Philips Hue Tap dial switch, portable Hue Go lamp, and fully customizable track lighting in a range of smart lighting updates today. The Hue Tap dial switch is available in matte black or white and adjusts lights with a turn of the dial. The faster you turn it the faster your lights brighten or dim. It features four buttons than can control scenes in up to three rooms or zones in the home.
• Uber and Lyft suspended shared rides in March 2020 as the Covid-19 pandemic began to ravage communities across the globe. The company announced on Tuesday it was bringing it back to a number of U.S. cities after pulling the service for more than two years. The feature, which allows riders to share a car with strangers going in a similar direction for a discount.
• A record 42 million people around the United States are expected to hit the road for trips over the July 4 Independence Day weekend, AAA reported, absorbing historically high fuel costs to crowd the highways. The average U.S. retail price of gasoline recently broke through $5 per gallon for the first time in history. While that is not a record from an inflation-adjusted basis, it still represents an increase of nearly $2 per gallon from a year earlier.

Happy Monday! We hope you had a wonderful weekend celebrating Father’s Day and Juneteenth. Tell us about your weekend plans!

In This Issue: Remote Camping | Cisco 8851 Five line Color Display Unified IP Phone | Understanding the Differences Between MPO and MTP Fiber | News to Start Your Day

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The CK Daily – Remote Camping

Happy Monday!

I hope everyone had a great Father’s Day weekend and Juneteenth! The weekend was quite nice and we got to enjoy some below 90s temperatures on Sunday which was a great reprieve from the heat wave we’ve been experiencing.

Camping went well once again, and although I had my doubts about the heat and bugs, miraculously it never got above 82 degrees and we maybe saw one mosquito (although we did see a large quantity of other flying and non-flying insects and spiders). We definitely recommend our Desoto Falls Recreation Area for primitive camping – sites 15B, 16B, or 18B (sorry no electricity or cell signal at the site). The kids enjoyed hiking to the nearby waterfall and playing in the creek that ran through the campsite. The creek was freezing though which was a good and bad thing. We had to run into town to buy a few extra blankets because the temps seemed to dip near 60 and we weren’t prepared or used to that kind of cold at night. Other than that, it looks like our camping adventures will continue. We’ll continue to camp as long as the kids enjoy it.

Camping in a remote area without cell signal reminded me of how technology-dependent I’ve become. It was a bit jarring to not be able to check my email or chat or anything for that matter after the first day. But as time went on I just left my phone alone (or rather it left me alone) and I learned to live without it. In a strange way, it reminded me of my childhood when cell phones were super expensive and the size of a shoebox. I didn’t even have a watch back then and the rule was to return before dark. I miss those days and I do wonder if our kids will ever get to be that privileged.

Cris

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Product Spotlights & Updates

The Cisco 8851 offers a high-resolution VGA backlit color display. The 8851 is a business-calls collaboration endpoint that delivers high-fidelity, reliable and secure communications fro small to large businesses. Supports a built-in Gigabit Ethernet switch for your PC connections. The 8851 series also deliver advanced IP features and crystal clear wideband audio performance.

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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.

This optimization requires considerable study and comparison, and there are countless opportunities to make small but meaningful upgrades throughout the design. A great example of this is fiber connectors. For any given fiber-optic network, you have plenty of termination options. Among those are MPO and MTP fiber. What makes these connections special? What distinguishes them from each other? This article will tell you what you need to know.

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Today’s News to Start Your Day:

• An episode of “Sesame Street,” allegedly removed from syndication for being too frightening for children, has been posted to social media sites like YouTube and Reddit. The episode stars Margaret Hamilton, who revives her role as the Wicked Witch of the West from “The Wizard of Oz.”
• Pixar’s “Lightyear” rocketed to a $51 million domestic opening, the best performance of an animated feature since the pandemic began. Box office analysts had foreseen “Lightyear” bringing in between $70 million and $85 million domestically.
• A massive unfinished cruise ship is likely to be sold for scrap after its maker declared bankruptcy because no one wants to buy it. Attempts are now being made to sell some of the fixtures and engines from Global Dream II, which was half-built by insolvent German shipbuilder MV Werften.
• As of 1 p.m. ET on Sunday, airlines had canceled 2,237 flights and delayed over 10,000 flights, according to tracking service FlightAware. Nearly 800 of Sunday’s cancellations and 2,000 of the delays involved aircraft scheduled to fly to or from U.S. cities.

Happy National “Eat Your Vegetables” Day! Some love this day and some hate every thought of having to eat any kind of vegetable. Which side do you fall on? What’s your favorite veggie to add to your plate?

In This Issue: Uncertain Times | Kendall Howard 1U Vented 4-Point Adjustable Shelf | PVC vs LSZH vs OFNP vs OFNR Cable Jackets | News to Start Your Day

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The CK Daily – Uncertain Times

Happy Friday, folks! We appear to be entering a time of uncertainty. If you watch the news, you know that the central bank hiked interest rates this week! Moves like this have a purpose, and we don’t know exactly how everything will play out. It’s times like these that can increase the uncertainty in our lives! But it doesn’t have to.

During these turbulent times, I’m reminded that God is not a God of confusion (1 Cor 14:33). As Christians, we are called “not to be anxious about anything” (Philippians 4:6-7). I know that not being anxious is far easier said than done, but that’s where peace comes from.

Just a small encouragement for today! Have a great weekend.

Chris

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Product Spotlights & Updates

Need a mounting solution for a server, switch, or networking device and don’t have the mounting rails? Well, this is the perfect solution for you. This vented four-point shelf will expand to fit in almost any 19” rack. It is capable of adjusting from 22” all the way to 40” deep and can hold 250 lbs evenly distributed. The vents allow for better airflow and the adjustable two-piece design allows for mounting flexibility.

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Learning Center Article – PVC vs LSZH vs OFNP vs OFNR Cable Jackets

When comparing fiber optics cables, there are a lot of different components and considerations. One important component is the outer jacket of the cable. Outer jackets can be made from a number of materials, and generally speaking, the jacket materials can work with any fiber cable type. That means that choosing the right cable jacket is often independent of choosing the fiber setup.

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Today’s News to Start Your Day:

• The Boston Celtics kicked off Game 6 of the NBA Finals with a 14-2 run, it looked like they were the team about to go on a historic run. That’s not what happened. The Warriors slowly but surely cut into the lead, getting it down to six at 22-16 with 2:53 remaining in the first quarter. And then? The Warriors ran the Celtics off of the floor. The Warriors would go on to win 103-90 to claim their fourth title in eight years.
• Chipotle is giving cauliflower rice another try after the item helped bring in new customers when it was offered for a limited time last year.
• A major offshore wind farm being built in waters off the Netherlands is set to use recyclable blades from Siemens Gamesa Renewable Energy — the latest in a line of companies attempting to tackle an issue that’s proved to be a challenge for the wind energy sector.
• In a tweet from NASA’s Perseverance Mars Rover, they shared, “My team has spotted something unexpected: It’s a piece of a thermal blanket that they think may have come from my descent stage, the rocket-powered jet pack that set me down on landing day back in 2021.” See more here.

Happy Thursday! We’re one day closer to the weekend, who’s ready?! 🤩 Do you have any exciting weekend plans?

In This Issue: Living in the Uncomfortable | Cisco Meraki MX64 Security Appliance | How to Choose the Right Transceiver for Your Network | News to Start Your Day

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The CK Daily – Living in the Uncomfortable

I am normally a creature of habit. I like having a plan. I like knowing what’s going to happen. I like my comfort zone. Every so often, I will break out and do something out of the norm of that mindset, but generally, I like being comfortable, as most of us probably do. Routine is not a bad thing at all.

Here lately I have come to call life, “living in the uncomfortable.” Lots of changes, lots of new things, lots of things that have gotten me out of my routine and out of being comfortable. One of the biggest things for me has been the opportunity and the pull that I have had to step out and join with many others to “pioneer” a new campus for my church. The church has done this multiple times, but I have never done it…I have been very comfortable attending and serving at my current church campus for almost 10 years. Even before they announced the new campus, I felt like a change was about to happen. I just didn’t know what it was. That Sunday they made the announcement that they were going to be starting the new campus in the county I just moved to, not far from my house. I knew immediately that was the change that was happening. We had the first kick-off for those who are going to the new campus and will be leading and serving there last week. I would say about 98% of the people there were from another current campus. Another uncomfortable moment, not knowing hardly anyone there. I love the people I serve and attend church with, many of them I have known and served with for 10+ years. This whole process has been a stretching moment for me.

That is just one example of the many “uncomfortable” moments and growing opportunities for me lately. While it has been difficult at times, I am learning to embrace it. It has kind of become freeing and exciting for me to let go of the control and my comfort zone and see what’s next.

Have a great Thursday!

Jason

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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 Meraki MX64-HW security device is an excellent solution for small branch locations with support for up to 50 users, 250 Mbps of stateful firewall throughput, and 200 Mbps of advanced security throughput.

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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:

• Covid vaccines from Pfizer and Moderna were recommended for kids as young as 6 months by FDA Advisers. It’s the last major group waiting for the shots.
• Cosmetics giant Revlon filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection as it grappled with a cumbersome debt load and a snarled supply chain. The company said it expects to receive $575 million in debtor-in-possession financing from its existing lender base
• Amazon’s big annual sale, Prime Day, will return on July 12 and 13. Who’s excited?!
• American Airlines CEO Robert Isom said that the company will revise its pay proposals for its 14,000 pilots, acknowledging pay standards have increased since the company made its most recent offer before the pandemic.

Happy Nature Photography and Smile Power Day! Need a mid-week pick-me-up? Seems like the perfect day to take a walk outside, mentally or physically take some photos of nature, and smile at everyone you see. Happy Wednesday!

In This Issue: Conquering Your To-Do List | Cisco 1000BASE-T SFP Module | Best Practices for Data Center Security in 2022 | News to Start Your Day

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The CK Daily – Conquering Your To-Do List

Good morning all!

Hope you are having a great week. I’ve been spending quite a bit of time in “catch-up” mode from doing quite a bit of traveling last week. It’s always so fun and fruitful to travel and further connect with people in person but is hard to put everything else on pause. Do you struggle with doing this?

Overtime, it seems like it’s become more of a struggle to be out and come back and not feel overwhelmed by your incredibly long to-do list. Specifically for me, working from home, I find myself working incredibly late hours trying to catch up and not giving myself a break to fuel up for the next day ahead. Have you found yourself in the same situation? What best practices do you put in place each day to conquer these feelings?

I hope you have a great week!

Ashley

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Product Spotlights & Updates

Achieve Gigabit Ethernet connectivity over Cat5e copper wire using the Cisco GLC-T transceiver module. These hot-swappable 1000BASE-T SFP gigabit interface converters (GBIC) plug directly into a Gigabit Ethernet port or slot, linking the port with the network and delivering high-performance Ethernet networking.

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Learning Center Article – Best Practices for Data Center Security in 2022

If you looked at data center security best practices only a few years ago, the leading trends and advice would be dramatically different from the leading areas of focus today. Everyone in IT knows that things change fast, but it feels like change has accelerated.

Here are four up-to-date best practices that can help you think about how things have changed and what you can do to keep up.

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Today’s News to Start Your Day:

• So long Internet Explorer. The browser is officially retiring as Microsoft will no longer support it.
• Total mortgage application volume was 52.7% lower last week than the same week one year ago.
• The United Arab Emirates’ Media Regulatory Office announced it would ban Disney Pixar’s “Lightyear” based on what it said was a “violation of the country’s media content standards.” The ban comes despite an announcement last year that the country would no longer censor films.
• The European Space Agency’s Gaia observatory has just unleashed a “treasure trove” of data on nearly 2 billion stars in the Milky Way, revealing how fast they move toward or away from us, as well as unusual ‘starquakes’ that change the shapes of stars. Check it out here!