Archives for October 2022

Happy Friday! We hope you’ve had a great week. We wish you a safe and spooky weekend as many of you kick off your Halloween festivities. We hope you enjoy the smiles of all the trick-or-treaters that knock on your door!

In This Issue: CK Anniversary | Cisco XENPAK 10 Gigabit Transceiver Module | Layer 2 vs Layer 3 Switches: Which is best for your network? | News to Start Your Day

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The CK Daily – CK Anniversary

Happy Friday, folks! CablesAndKits is officially an adult! What does this mean? I’m glad you asked. The parent company of CablesAndKits, Atlantech Resellers, started in October 2001, so the company is turning 21 years old this month.

What’s even more exciting is that over 150,000 customers, including YOU, have trusted us to supply IT-related equipment for your projects over this time. While it’s fun to celebrate, this celebration would not occur without YOU.

So while we’re turning 21 this year, we are more excited than ever to continue serving all of our customers who have trusted us over these years.

Have a great weekend!

Chris

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Product Spotlights & Updates

The Cisco 10GBASE-SR Module supports a link length of 300 meters on 50 or 62.5-micron OM3 multi-mode fiber or 400 meters on OM4. Hot-swappable input/output device plugs into an Ethernet XENPAK port of a Cisco switch or router to link the port with the network.

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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:

• The Houston Astros, the No. 1 seed in the American League playoffs, will go into Friday’s Game 1 tipped by most to win the franchise’s second World Series crown. However, the Philadelphia Phillies have already upset the odds three times en route to the Fall Classic, entering the National League playoffs as the lowest seed of the six teams. The Astros, who have now reached the World Series for the fourth time in six years, are rightly considered favorites after going undefeated in the playoffs, sweeping the Seattle Mariners and the New York Yankees.
• Lego’s Mindstorms robotics kits have been on the market since 1998, born from a collaboration between Lego and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT). Now, Lego has announced it will be discontinuing Mindstorms at the end of the year and providing support for the mobile app for at least another two years beyond that.
• Andy Warhol may be best known for his pop art iconography of Marilyn Monroe, Chairman Mao and Campbell’s soup cans, but next month, a “haunting” silkscreen print of a mangled car crash will be up for sale at Sotheby’s in New York. On November 16 during the auction house’s marquee week, It is expected to sell for upwards of $80 million
• North Korea fired two short-range ballistic missiles toward the sea on Friday in its first ballistic weapons launch in two weeks, as the U.S. military warned the North that the use of nuclear weapons.

Happy National Black Cat Day! Black cats are one of the least adopted animals due to the myth and mystery behind them. Do you have a black cat? Send us a photo!

In This Issue: A Bit Overwhelmed | Cisco 3560-X/3750-X Series NM Slot Cover | How to Choose the Right Fiber Connector: PC vs UPC vs APC | News to Start Your Day

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The CK Daily – A Bit Overwhelmed

Happy Thursday!

I hope everyone’s week is going well for them. My week has been one of those weeks full of opportunities for growth and learning (aka…lots of unexpected issues, trials, and things not going as planned). Haha! I feel like every day I have had to reset my expectations of what needs to be done due to things going “bump in the night” the day before. I am usually pretty good at juggling things, managing tasks, and rolling with the punches when things don’t go right but this week has been so full of issues and things not going as planned. Some days (and weeks…maybe months…lol!) we are just going to feel overwhelmed and not know what to do when things keep going wrong. It is a crazy feeling when you feel like no matter what you do and how good at your job you are, you feel out of control.

Yesterday morning, I had to take a step back, take a deep breath, and tell myself, “It’s all good, everything will work out, and just focus on one thing at a time.” I was walking the dog, thinking about everything, and I remember whispering to myself, “Ok Lord, I need some help and guidance here cause I can’t keep up with all of this.” Things didn’t immediately change when I got back to my office, but my perspective had changed. I was reminded that I was not in this by myself, and things might not go as planned, but that was ok, and there was probably a better way to handle all the issues than I had originally planned. I just got to take it one step at a time and keep my mind and emotions in check with all of it.

Have you ever had one of those days, weeks, or months like that?

I hope everyone is having an amazing week and has a great weekend!

Jason

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Product Spotlights & Updates

The Cisco 3560-X/3750-X series network module blank is used to fill in the space left when a network module is removed. Covering all open slots on your switch makes the unit more attractive and improves airflow making your unit run better and last longer.

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Learning Center Article – How to Choose the Right Fiber Connector: PC vs UPC vs APC

When joining fiber optic cables, connectors are everything. These highly sensitive networks live or die by how cleanly and efficiently the cables join inside of the connector. Because of that, there are many different connector designs, each catering to different uses and design philosophies.

One common philosophy is to focus on physical contact between the fibers. Doing so is difficult, as at least some air gap tends to exist inside the connector. To combat that and the signal disruption that comes with air gaps, three types of physical contact connectors are used in a wide range of systems. These are PC, UPC, and APC connectors.

If you are trying to determine which is best for your system, a quick comparison can help with your selection.

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Today’s News to Start Your Day:

• Elon Musk, the world’s richest man, has paid a visit to Twitter’s headquarters before a Friday court-ordered deadline to close his $44bn deal for the United States-based social media giant. “Entering Twitter HQ – let that sink in!” said the caption of a video that Musk tweeted on Wednesday in which he was walking into the offices in San Francisco carrying a sink.
• There is no lucky ticket holder in Wednesday’s huge Powerball drawing, and the jackpot has grown to an estimated $800 million.
• Antarctica’s emperor penguin is officially at risk of extinction due to rising global temperatures and sea ice loss.
• Gross domestic product rose 2.6% in the third quarter versus the estimate of 2.3%.

Happy National Pumpkin Day! Pumpkins are used for so many different things. They are used as decor, for carving, eating, and much more! What do you enjoy doing with your pumpkins?

In This Issue: Gratefulness | Cisco 2960-X Series 24 Port 370W PoE+ | Polarity for MPO Cables | News to Start Your Day

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The CK Daily – Gratefulness

Hello!

Ashley here – double time this week! Rebecca is out on vacation this week, so stay tuned to hear all about it next week.

In the meantime, I’ll share something that’s been on my heart lately.

A few weeks ago, I was challenged to write down one word each day that shares what I am grateful for until Thanksgiving. Somedays the word comes with no question but somedays it’s a challenge to think “What am I truly grateful for today?” I have so much to be grateful for in the season of life that I’m in, but yet I still struggle some days to put my finger on one thing that is truly meaningful.

Today I am grateful for true friendship. That I am able to spend this week with friends that I don’t get to see very often as we prepare to reunite with more of our friends on Friday to celebrate their marriage! Furthermore, that we are able to sit around the table and have authentic, joyful, and heartfelt conversations in person and not over FaceTime.

What are you grateful for today?

If you want to join me in the challenge, start today! Each day, write down one word that shares what you are thankful for. At the end of this challenge, I’ll challenge you to pray over each of those things. It’s such a joy each day that we get to be grateful for the things that He has given us.

Happy Wednesday!

Ashley

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Product Spotlights & Updates

When you need enterprise-class access without the high price, the Cisco 2960-X series of fixed-configuration, stackable Gigabit Ethernet switches is a great solution. This model, WS-C2960X-24PS-L, is simple to configure and monitor, and it’s made for easy troubleshooting. With 370W of PoE power, it offers 12 PoE+ ports up to 30W or 24 PoE ports up to 15.4W, with flexible power allocation. The WS-C2960X-24PS-L switch includes 24 Gigabit Ethernet ports (10/100/1000) and 4 SFP uplink interfaces.

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Learning Center Article – Polarity for MPO Cables

High-end fiber optics are important to modern networking, but they’re a lot more complicated than some of their older counterparts. If you need the power of fiber, you might be looking into MPO systems. They can hit some of the highest speeds on the market today, but utilizing them requires knowledge. One key piece of knowledge that can help with MPO systems is polarity. Without this knowledge, you won’t get a connection across any of your lines.

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Today’s News to Start Your Day:

• For the first time in New Zealand’s history, a majority of lawmakers are women.
• The number of Americans who do not have a bank account fell to a record low last year, as the proliferation of online-only banks and an improving economy is bringing more Americans into the traditional financial system. A new report from the Federal Deposit Insurance Corp. issued Tuesday found that 4.5% of Americans were without a bank account in 2021. That’s the lowest level since the FDIC started tracking the data in 2009 and down from 5.4% of Americans in the 2019 survey data. Now reports show that a record number of Americans have a bank account.
• If you’re thinking of wiping down your kitchen with that bottle of Pine-Sol all-purpose cleaner under your sink — stop. It may contain bacteria that could cause serious illness in people with compromised immune systems. The Clorox Company has recalled its scented multi-surface cleaners and all-purpose cleaners. The recall doesn’t include its iconic original pine-scented Pine-Sol, which is its only product registered as a disinfectant.
• Apple will have to comply with a European Union law that mandates electronic devices have a common charging standard — known as USB-C.

Happy Tuesday & Happy National Greasy Food day! From fried chicken, pizza, nachos, and french fries to bacon and hashbrowns – it’s the perfect day to indulge.

In This Issue: Wedding Season | Cisco QSFP+ to 4SFP+ Breakout Cable | Throughput vs DRAM and Flash Specs | News to Start Your Day

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The CK Daily – Wedding Season

Happy Tuesday!

It’s wedding season! My husband and I have been doing a ton of traveling this month for several weddings! This week we decided to stay with friends between the two we have to close out the month, so are hanging out in Colombus, Ohio this week. Our friends have been taking us to all of their favorite places and tonight we’re going to a Blue Jackets game. It will be my first NHL game, so I’m looking forward to it!

I love weddings. They are so sweet and I love the raw emotions that the day brings. I think my favorite part about weddings is gifting. My husband and I have made it our thing to purchase some of our favorite 2-player games to gift to the couple. We have so much fun playing games together and hope to bring this joy to others.

Do you have any fun 2-player games you’d reccomend we try out?

Hope you have a great week!

Ashley

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Product Spotlights & Updates

Our fully Cisco-compatible breakout cable allows for versatility in your network by connecting a single 40G QSFP+ connector to (4) 10G SFP+ connectors over a passive copper twin axial cable. This direct attach breakout cable is hot-swappable, reliable, and an excellent option for achieving 40G connectivity without utilizing fiber optic cabling.

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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:

• Five people have been stranded about 21 stories underground at Grand Canyon Caverns since the attraction’s elevator malfunctioned Sunday evening.
• Rishi Sunak took office as British prime minister Tuesday, acknowledging the mistakes of his Conservative Party predecessors and warning of difficult decisions ahead for a country mired in political and economic trouble.
• WhatsApp, the messaging platform, was starting to come back online and the company said the issue has been fixed after users across the world reported problems earlier on Tuesday. At about 07.50 GMT, the outage reporting site Downdetector had shown more than 68,000 users in the UK had reported problems with the app. Issues were also reported by 19,000 users in Singapore and 15,000 in South Africa.
• A Russian court on Tuesday denied WNBA star Brittney Griner’s appeal and upheld her nine-year prison sentence on drug charges.

Happy Monday! I think it’s safe to say it officially feels like fall! What are your favorite things about the fall weather?

In This Issue: Local Festivals | Cisco 2901 Integrated Services Router | Routers vs Modems | News to Start Your Day

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The CK Daily – Local Festivals

Happy Monday!

This weekend we had the opportunity to visit the Braselton Antique & Artisan Festival. We hadn’t visited a festival in a very long time, so this was a real treat. There were over 375 vendors selling all sorts of things from crafts, and clothing, to paintings, and even furniture. We enjoyed visiting the ice cream truck for some treats and dog watching (similar to people watching). There were a ton of dogs at this festival from tiny ones that people carried around to ones that were bigger than the people walking them. The weather was perfect, and I would even say a tad bit warm. The only problem we had was finding parking, but luckily a family member lived a short 10-minute walk away from the festival, so we parked at their house.

It was so nice being at an event outside and I think I appreciate it more this year, because of the last couple of years when we weren’t willing or able to go out. It feels like things are returning to the way they were (in a good way) and I’m thankful for that. Have you attended any local festivals recently?

Cris

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Product Spotlights & Updates

Cisco 2901 Integrated Services Router builds on 25 years of Cisco innovation and product leadership. The new platforms are architected to enable the next phase of branch-office evolution, providing rich media collaboration and virtualization to the branch while maximizing operational cost savings. The new Integrated Services Routers Generation 2 are future-enabled with support for new high-capacity DSPs (Digital Signal Processors) for future enhanced video capabilities, high-powered service modules with improved availability, multi-core CPUs, Gigabit Ethernet switching with enhanced POE, and new energy visibility and control capabilities while improving overall system performance.

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Learning Center Article – Routers vs. Modems

When you’re building a network, there are a few essential components that show up in every design, especially if this network accesses the internet.

Somewhere along the line, you have to attach a modem. It’s essential for internet connectivity. Assuming you use more than one device with this network, you probably also need a router. Each of these devices is essential, and they are often combined together into a single networking device.

But, what are they really doing? What are the key differences between modems and routers?

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Today’s News to Start Your Day:

• First, the storm. Then, a plague of insects. Hordes of mosquitoes have proliferated in floodwater and debris left in Hurricane Ian’s wake, and now swarm Florida communities. State and local officials are waging a multimillion-dollar war against the bloodsucking insects — which are known to spread diseases like West Nile virus and St. Louis encephalitis — as they try to keep residents safe and prevent the voracious insects from slowing down the recovery crews working to fix power lines and rebuild infrastructure.
• Beyond Meat is launching a steak substitute in grocery stores on Monday. The new product will roll out nationwide at more than 5,000 Kroger and Walmart stores, as well as Albertsons, Ahold Delhaize, Jewel-Osco, Sprouts and other local grocers.
• U.S. Customs and Border Protection reported 2.3 million migrant apprehensions at the southern border in the last 12 months — surpassing the record high set last year.
• An unseasonably early spike in respiratory syncytial virus cases among young children is pushing some hospitals to capacity. Most years, infections typically occur in the late fall and winter, often overlapping with flu season. But at least since last year, physicians have begun seeing surges starting during summer months.

Happy Friday! The cool weather is moving in and we are loving it. What are you weekend plans?

In This Issue: “Crocktober” Festivities | Cisco 1000BASE-SX SFP Module | Basics of MPO / MTP Fiber Cables | News to Start Your Day

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The CK Daily – “Crocktober” Festivities

Happy Friday, folks! We are having a gathering at the CK office today. It has been affectionately called “Crocktober” for fun! We’ll be having all sorts of food to eat, a pie-eating contest, and playing some cornhole.

While we are primarily a remote workforce now, I really look forward to these gatherings where we can see each other in person. It helps us continue building the company culture and maintaining personal relationships.

Feel free to stop by and say hey if you’re in the Buford, GA, area around lunchtime. We’d love to see you!

Have a great weekend!

Chris

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Product Spotlights & Updates

The GLC-SX-MMD is a hot-swappable Small Form-Factor Pluggable (SFP) device that plugs into the Gigabit Ethernet port or slot on a switch or router to link the device with your fiber optic network. 1000BASE-SX SFP modules are a popular option because they can be used in combination with other IEEE 802.3z-compliant transceiver modules, including 1000BASELX/LH and 1000BASEZX interfaces.

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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.

These centers require increasingly fast speeds and throughput, and innovations in fiber optics technology continue to drive their development. As the cables themselves become more advanced, data centers are able to expand their capacity and performance.

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Today’s News to Start Your Day:

• Starting on Monday, Apple’s iOS 16.1 update will allow iPhone, iPad and Apple TV users to access Fitness+ even if they don’t have an Apple Watch. Apple is debuting its iCloud shared photo library. Unlike shared albums, everyone in the shared photo library will have the ability to add, delete, edit, or favorite photos and videos. On iOS 16.1, clean energy iPhone charging optimizes charging for when cleaner energy sources are available, Apple says, helping to decrease your iPhone’s carbon footprint.
• Thousands of hawks are doing what we all wish we could – flying south for the winter. In Michigan, for example, metro Detroiters are noticing hundreds of hawks flying in the sky and resting in backyards. In the last five days alone, the Detroit River Hawk Watch has counted 9,934 hawks. The association watches the birds fly every day from the Lake Erie Metropark, about 30 miles from downtown Detroit.
• Only three hours after releasing her new album, Midnights, Taylor Swift has dropped seven more songs written during the album’s conception.
• News broke late last night that the Panthers traded Christian McCaffrey to the 49ers, and early this morning McCaffrey posted a message of thanks to his former home. McCaffrey, who arrived in Carolina as the eighth overall pick in the 2017 NFL draft, wrote on social media that he’ll have fond memories of his time with the Panthers.