Archives for January 2023

Happy Tuesday & Happy National Plan for Vacation Day! The last Tuesday in January is always set to be a little reminder for us to start planning our vacations for the year! Do you already have an upcoming vacation planned? Where are you heading?

In This Issue: Pushing through the Fog of February | Dell PowerEdge T620 | Throughput vs DRAM and Flash Specs | News to Start Your Day

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The CK Daily – Pushing through the Fog of February

Good Morning & Happy Tuesday!

Hope everyone is off to a great start this week! It’s hard to believe we’ve almost made it to February. I’ve never been a fan of the month of January as it always seems cold, dark, and a bit depressing. It seems like a period that you just simply have to “get through,” but rarely have I ever felt like I was thriving during the month of Jan!

This January has been particularly difficult due to some extremely unfortunate family issues going on, so needless to say I’m very excited to be moving on to February and inching closer to Spring! I actually am enjoying a bit of a working vacation this week down on Hilton Head Island and it’s so nice to be getting a change of scenery and a mental break from the stress back home! Hoping to recharge a reset a bit this week! Hope you all have a great week!

Rebecca

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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:

• Boeing plans to add the new 737 Max production line in the second half of 2024 to meet strong demand. 
• A winter storm bringing the triple threat of ice, sleet and snow Tuesday to parts of the South and central US has prompted officials to close roads and schools as they urge people to avoid traveling in dangerous conditions.
• Paramount Global is integrating Showtime’s streaming service into its marquee platform, Paramount+. Cable channel Showtime will be rebranded as Paramount+ with Showtime. Paramount+ original content will also be featured on it.
• UPS reported mixed fourth-quarter results, beating Wall Street’s expectations on earnings but missing on revenue. The shipping company saw revenue dip in its international and supply chain segments as it sees volume declines.

Happy Monday & Happy National Bubble Wrap Day! Does anyone else take enjoyment when they get a package from popping all the bubbles?

In This Issue: Putting things into Perspective | HPE Aruba 2930M Series Switch | Wiring Ethernet Patch Panels | News to Start Your Day

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The CK Daily – Putting things into Perspective

Happy Monday!

This weekend was low-key for our family, we got some cleaning done, but what I wanted to share today is a video I watched that gave me some perspective on things.

In the video, a guy complained to his wife about how hot it was in the humid tropical country they were in. The guy was miserable, he wasn’t used to the heat, and they had to wait about 30 minutes before his in-laws would arrive to have dinner together. They were waiting on a busy street with about a hundred people walking about and going through life. The guy decided he had enough and went to get a drink and some cool treats at the local fast-food chain which happened to be the only one with air conditioning.

He purchased his drink and a few sundaes and left the restaurant. After a moment he realizes his drink is empty and just full of ice and he begins to complain about how the restaurant scammed him. He complains about how there’s not enough drink and too much ice in his drink and he’s mad. His wife looks away and after a while, the guy asks, “what’s wrong” and she just says she doesn’t understand why he’s so upset. The guy is completely puzzled. He starts grumbling about the heat and too much ice. Then she says, “look around, you are the only person complaining on this beautiful day and the only person with a cool drink and ice cream in their hands, everyone is enjoying this sunny day and yet you’re upset”. The guy looks around and saw the people with their families, smiling, enjoying the day, and sure enough, he was the only one with a cold drink and the only one that seemed genuinely upset.

It took a while for him to understand what she was saying, but he eventually got it. Sometimes we need others to point out the important things we’re missing, sometimes we get so hyper-focused on little issues and make them big issues when we need to take a step back and get some perspective.

I hope you have a great day and maybe take a moment for yourself and step back to get some perspective.

Cris

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Product Spotlights & Updates

The Aruba 2930M Series of switches was designed to deliver performance and a robust feature set for customers creating smart digital workplaces that are optimized for mobile users with an integrated wired and wireless approach. These Layer 3 switches are high-performance, stackable switches that support stacking for up to 10 switches. They support wire speeds up to 10GbE and up to 40Gbe uplinks. They are easy to deploy and manage using Aruba AirWave or Aruba Central with Zero Touch Provisioning.

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Learning Center Article – Wiring Ethernet Patch Panels

When you’re building a network, it’s often ideal to use a patch panel to direct cables and organize long Ethernet runs — especially if they go through walls, floors, and/or ceilings. Patch panels make cable management and network organization very easy over long periods of time, but you’ll need to wire the panels in order to put them into your network.

Not to worry, this guide will walk you through the whole process.

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Today’s News to Start Your Day:

• Walmart is bringing a sleeker look to some of its big-box stores. It has remodeled six stores so far. Walmart is trying to get inflation-weary shoppers to buy higher-margin merchandise, such as makeup and apparel.
• Chewy’s Connect With a Vet allows customers to virtually talk with licensed veterinarians and technicians, but regulations prevent them from diagnosing conditions or prescribing medications.
• This year, the U.S. justice system, including the Supreme Court, will take on cases that will help determine the bounds of free expression on the internet.
• Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo says the company will launch a foldable iPad with a carbon fiber kickstand in 2024.

Happy Friday! You made it through another week! We hope it was fruitful and that you were able to check off all the goals you had set for the week. We hope you have a wonderful weekend!

In This Issue: Comfortable being Uncomfortable | 0.3m LC-LC OM3 Corning Multimode Duplex 50/125 Fiber Optic Cable | What are SFP’s? | News to Start Your Day

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The CK Daily – Comfortable being uncomfortable

Happy Friday, folks! A couple of weeks ago, I had the opportunity to serve in Honduras for a week. It was an incredible experience working with a team helping local farmers!

One of our goals in my family is for all of us to participate in a mission trip in 2023! Going on a trip (especially if it’s not local) really takes us out of our daily routine and comfort zone. It also provides an opportunity to walk in someone else’s shoes, develop relationships, and leave an impact. I went expecting to have an impact on the local community, which we did. However, I also walked away being impacted! I have a level of gratitude I didn’t have before the trip!

I’ve always heard that growth happens when you get comfortable being uncomfortable. Getting out of my comfort zone was uncomfortable, but it became a great experience! Is there something you’ve always wanted to do but haven’t been quite ready to do? Perhaps this is the year!

Feel free to reach out if you want to chat or want some encouragement to do something you have yet to do.

Chris

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Product Spotlights & Updates

All of our premium cables are made with Corning ultra-pure glass fibers which ensure the highest degree of strength and purity to give you low attenuation and low signal loss for your whole network. Corning leads the industry in product quality and innovation, and we have brought these strengths into our premium cables.

Our premium OM3 fiber cables were created with those challenging fiber runs and environments in mind. Bend insensitive fiber (BIF) will transmit light with minimal loss even with bending and twisting beyond the normal bend radius of basic fiber cables. The ring of refraction material around the glass reflects light that is lost back into the core.

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Learning Center Article – What are SFP’s?

High-end networking demands high-end equipment. You have a plethora of options, but eventually you have to make decisions on which technology covers each of your applications. When considering all of those options, an understanding of SFP transceivers is pivotal. It’s a core technology that serves as a primary workhorse in many networks. This guide is going to explain all about SFP and it’s primary uses.

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Today’s News to Start Your Day:

• An asteroid the size of a delivery truck moved past Earth on Thursday night, one of the closest such encounters ever recorded. NASA insists it will be a near miss with no chance of the asteroid hitting Earth.
• Bed Bath & Beyond reported that it doesn’t have enough cash to pay down its debts and it has defaulted on its credit line with JPMorgan, warning once again of a potential bankruptcy.
• Walmart-owned Sam’s Club plans to open more than 30 new clubs in the U.S. The warehouse club is expanding after seeing sharp gains in sales and membership during the Covid pandemic.
• Gorilla Glass has been the go-to for most device manufacturers – and for good reason. Corning’s latest release – Gorilla Glass Victus 2 – is set to be used on the Galaxy S23 series, giving the device significant added protection.

Happy Thursday & Happy National Green Juice and Peanut Brittle Day! Seems like the perfect day to stop by your favorite juice bar followed by your local candy shop and pick up these two treats to enjoy!

In This Issue: Spring Cleaning in January | Meraki Access Point, Wi-Fi 6 | How to Choose Ethernet Cables for Gaming | News to Start Your Day

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The CK Daily – Spring Cleaning in January

Happy Thursday!

As I mentioned last week, I have started down the road with a list of DIY projects around the house. One part of that has been moving stuff around and prepping the different areas for the work. One thing I didn’t plan on when starting all of these projects or looking at least looking at starting them, was what I call the “Spring Cleaning” of the different rooms. Mostly this has been cleaning out and throwing away old items or stuff I don’t use/need or putting them on marketplace to sell. I think this has been more tedious than the building out of the areas will be.

I started in the pantry (which I will be remodeling) then the next thing I knew I was cleaning out the downstairs closet/storage area, then that moved to the office closet, then the two guest room closets, then finally it landed on all the cabinets in the kitchen and bathrooms (all of these areas are not places I will be remodeling, haha!). One thing led to another, and I felt like I was Spring cleaning in January. I have learned that even though I have only been in my new house for almost two years, I have collected a lot of junk and things that I don’t use. I even found a box of stuff that I never unpacked when I moved in. I guess I really didn’t need that stuff lol!

Does anyone else do this at random times of the year and realize how much stuff we have in our homes that we never see or use? It is crazy!

Anyway, it has felt good to clean out a lot of stuff and get rid of stuff that was just taking up space. It is amazing how much free space I have in all of these areas now. It is also amazing how many things we buy in such a short period of time that we never use to maybe is just stuff that is “out of sight, out of mind.” I said to myself several times, “Why in the world do I still have this?” or Where in the world did this come from?” and few, “I didn’t even know I still had this!” Haha! I feel the more I do, the more I find to clean out. I guess that is life.

I hope all of you have an awesome Thursday and rest of the week! If you need me, I will be cleaning out some other area in the house during my spare time. HAHA!

Jason

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Product Spotlights & Updates

The Meraki MR46-HW raises the bar to new heights when it comes to wireless performance and efficiency. This cloud-managed access point features 4×4:4 MU-MIMO and 802.11ax Wi-Fi 6 making it perfect for next-generation deployments in everything from offices and schools to shops and hotels. It offers the best of all worlds with high throughput, enterprise-grade security, and simple management through the Meraki dashboard.

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Learning Center Article – How to Choose Ethernet Cables for Gaming

It’s good that you are looking at Ethernet internet options. As a gamer, you likely understand the horror of laggy games. When it comes to home networks and gaming, latency is a huge deal and can make or break your whole experience – and in the game, whether you live, die, or succeed.

Ethernet has a lot of options for you these days. From Cat5 to Cat8 cables, there is an option out there that matches the performance you want without committing you to too much money out of your pocket.

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Today’s News to Start Your Day:

• Slowing inflation hasn’t brought relief for consumers yet because prices are still well above where they were a year ago. Commodity and freight costs are falling, but won’t immediately trickle down to consumers in part due to supplier contracts and some companies’ desire to boost profit margins. But retailers are fighting back by pushing their private label products, which could win over consumers with cheaper prices and force manufacturers to offer better deals.
• A total of 1.21 billion smartphones were shipped in 2022, which represents the lowest annual shipment total since 2013. Apple maintained its position as the number one smartphone maker in the world. The U.S. tech giant shipped 72.3 million iPhones in the fourth quarter, down 14.9% year on year.
• House lawmakers considered the role of social media, and specifically Snap-owned Snapchat, in propagating the fentanyl poisoning crisis. The event in the House Energy and Commerce Committee could set the stage for new proposals to protect kids on the internet or limit the liability protections for online platforms.
• Ukraine sounded alarms across the country on Thursday after Russia launched a wave of missile and drone strikes. Air sirens were also heard in the country’s capital city of Kyiv, where missile defense systems successfully struck down 15 targets.

Happy Friday! Today isn’t just any Friday—it’s National Fun at Work Day! 🥳 So, whether you’re in the office or working remotely, let the spirit of fun and camaraderie put some fun into your day!

In This Issue: Introducing Bulk Pricing! | Cisco 3825 Router Fan 1 / Fan 2 Replacement | A Comprehensive Guide to Meraki Access Points | News to Start Your Day

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The CK Daily – Introducing Bulk Pricing!

Great news – we’ve introduced bulk pricing on all Ethernet cables, Fiber optic cables, and keystone jacks! Now, when you shop with us, you’ll enjoy:
Automatic Savings: As you add products to your cart, watch the prices drop. The more you buy, the more you save.
Simplified Shopping: Experience a streamlined, faster purchasing process.
Transparent Pricing: Immediate, upfront cost information for hassle-free budgeting.
Discover these benefits on our website and start saving today! Questions or need assistance? We’re always ready to help!

Here is a screenshot of the change:

Have a great week!

The CK Team

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Product Spotlights & Updates

Keep your cool under pressure with help from CablesAndKits. We’ve got the Cisco 3825 Router Fan 1 / Fan 2 Replacement you need to keep your router cool. Increased airflow is essential to maintaining a healthy and efficient router. This single replacement fan will work for Fan 1 or Fan 2 in Cisco 3825 routers.

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Learning Center Article – A Comprehensive Guide to Meraki Access Points

When it comes to Wi-Fi networks, you have a lot of options — almost too many. Figuring out what hardware is correct for each application can require full-time research. Fortunately, there’s always an easier answer, and in the case of wireless access points (APs), Cisco has created the simplest solution: Meraki.

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Today’s News to Start Your Day:

• Tesla is recalling nearly 200,000 cars due to a “software instability” that prevented the rearview camera image from displaying.
• Microsoft is laying off 1,900 workers in its Gaming unit. The cuts represent around 9% of the 22,000 Microsoft Gaming employees and come three months after Microsoft closed on its $69 billion acquisition of Activision Blizzard.
• We’re only a few weeks into January, but it already seems like 2024 is the year of the Oreo cookie. Oreo started the year by announcing three new products, including its first-ever new Cakesters flavor, a Black & White cookie flavor, and the addition of Gluten Free Golden Oreos to its permanent line.
• No one alive today will see it again—the convergence of two cicada broods that will practically shake the Midwest with their chirping. This spring, the synchronized emergence of Brood 13 and Brood 19 will fill the air from Iowa to Virginia with over a trillion bugs.

It’s hump day! Cheers to a productive rest of the week this week!

In This Issue: Lifelong Friendships | Cisco Aironet Articulated Dipole Antenna | Everything you need to know about fiber optic cables- Including OM5 | News to Start Your Day

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The CK Daily – Life Long Friendships

Good morning CK Family!

I hope you are having a great week! This past weekend I spent some time in Columbia, SC visiting with my best friend from college. She is currently enrolled in a Ph.D. program at the University of South Carolina – and she’s loving it! I’m so thankful to have such a strong relationship with her after all these years! We talk on the phone often, but there’s just something about being able to hang out in person.

As our lives have changed it’s been fun to see how our friendship grows. We’ve had to adapt quite a bit – but in the end have always come out stronger. As new adventures arise over the next few years for both of us, I look forward to seeing how our friendship will grow.

Cheers to lifelong friendships!

Ashley

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Product Spotlights & Updates

The AIR-ANT4941 can be used with all Cisco access points equipped with an RP-TNC connector. Designed for indoor use, at 54Mbps this antenna gives approximately 90 ft of coverage.

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Learning Center Article – Everything you need to know about fiber optic cables- Including OM5

You’ve started a project to upgrade your network but are not sure of what fiber cables you need. Should the cables be single-mode or multi-mode? Is there a specific length or speed needed? All of these questions are great to ask as you prepare your network project and think of future upgrades. Here is everything you need to know about fiber cables including the newest fiber type, OM5.

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Today’s News to Start Your Day:

• Walmart is raising its minimum wage to $14 an hour for store employees. Starting in early March, the retailer’s U.S. average wage is expected to be more than $17.50.
• SpaceX announced it completed a major test of its latest Starship prototype. Starship prototype 24, stacked on Super Heavy booster prototype 7, was fueled up at SpaceX’s Starbase facility in Texas in a test known as a “wet dress rehearsal.” An orbital launch attempt of Starship marks the next step in flight testing for the rocket.
• Microsoft said it is investigating issues with several of its products, including Teams and Outlook. The U.S. technology giant said that users globally might not be able to access multiple Microsoft 365 services.
• The Senate Judiciary Committee slammed concert giant Live Nation in a hearing on Tuesday. Industry witnesses described a monopoly-like control over venues, artists, and consumers. Criticism of Live Nation, which owns Ticketmaster, intensified after a botched sale of tickets to Taylor Swift’s Eras Tour.