Archives for April 2023

Happy Thursday! It’s also National Cheddar Fries Day, National Pineapple Upside-Down Cake Day, and National Lima Been Day…an odd combination if you put them all together, but maybe you can be creative with it! Enjoy your day!

In This Issue: Making it About Relationships | HPE Aruba 530 Series Indoor Access Point | Are switches and routers the same thing? | News to Start Your Day

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The CK Daily – Making it About Relationships

Happy Thursday!

At CablesAndKits, one of our core values is “Make it about relationships”. We believe that building strong relationships with our customers is key to providing the best possible service and creating a positive impact in our communities.

Whether it’s taking the time to listen to your needs and concerns, going the extra mile to solve a problem, or simply sharing a smile and a friendly conversation, we strive to make every interaction with our customers a meaningful one.

I want to take this opportunity to say thank you for choosing CK and for allowing us to be a part of your lives. We truly appreciate your trust and loyalty.

I would love to hear from you! How have you experienced our commitment to making it about relationships? Has there been a time when we went above and beyond to make you feel valued and heard? Or have you found ways to apply this core value in your own life or business? I would love to hear your stories and insights.

Thank you again for your support and partnership. I look forward to continuing to build strong relationships with all of our customers.

Joi

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Product Spotlights & Updates

The Aruba 530 Series of Indoor Access Points were designed to provide an optimized user experience offering a combined peak data rate of up to 2.97 Gbps. These APs maximize Wi-Fi efficiency to deliver both speed and reliability for users. The 530 series of campus access points are suitable for high-density mobile as well as IoT deployments.

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Learning Center Article – Are switches and routers the same thing?

When learning about networks, there are a lot of terms and concepts, and in the beginning, it can get pretty confusing. Something that can help is a simplified breakdown of some of the most essential aspects of networking.

To help with that, you’re going to find an explanation about switches and routers below. They’re in every network, but they’re often misunderstood. You can take a minute to demystify these devices and better understand your own networks.

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Today’s News to Start Your Day:

• Ikea is making its biggest investment push since it opened in the U.S. They are looking to invest in omnichannel growth, including new stores, pickup locations, sustainability efforts, and other developments. 
• Facebook users who maintained an account between May 2007 and December 2022 can submit a claim for their share of a $725 million class action settlement. 
• ESPN will begin layoffs early next week as part of Disney’s cost cuts. Cuts will include both on-air talent and management.
• Bluesky, Jack Dorsey’s alternative to Twitter is now available by invitation only on Android devices after arriving on the App Store in February. 

Happy Wednesday! We’re halfway through the week and if you’re anything like us, we’ve been talking about the weekend since Monday. Do you have any upcoming weekend plans you’re looking forward to?

In This Issue: Weekend Adventures & Hometown Baby Showers | Cisco Catalyst 9300 Series Switch | Aruba Switches vs Cisco Switches | News to Start Your Day

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The CK Daily – Weekend Adventures & Hometown Baby Showers

Good morning CK family!

I hope everyone is having a wonderful week! This week, for me, is flying by! This past weekend was filled with some family time as we celebrated my cousin’s 16th Birthday. We went to TopGolf and then to a restaurant in Greenville, SC that serves “mega milkshakes”! They were delightful!

This weekend, I’ll be attending my first baby shower for the little man coming soon! My husband’s sister is throwing us a shower in my husband’s hometown, so I’m excited to see some of his family and friends again. Then the following weekend, my parents are throwing us a shower in my hometown. So it’ll be a few weekends in a row of loving on and spoiling the baby.

We also finally decided on a nursery color this week (a big win!!). We’re going for a jungle theme and finding the right shade of green was quite the struggle, but my dad saved the day with some new paint samples that all ended up being a perfect shade. Now to begin the painting!

It seems there are so many things to think about and do before welcoming your first child into the world, but we’ve been praying through it all and just taking it one day at a time. Any advice you have, we welcome it!

Have a great rest of the week!

Ashley

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Product Spotlights & Updates

Transform your network with highly scalable Cisco Catalyst 9300 Series switches. These enterprise class stackable access switches are built to support a hybrid network, allowing users to work from anywhere. The innovation in these switches reinforce security and elevate the experience for hybrid workforces.

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Learning Center Article – Aruba Switches vs Cisco Switches

When it comes to network switches, the variety of options can be overwhelming. There’s a specific switch for every niche networking role, and there are a dozen different brands making that one class of switch.

Out of all of those options, two leading brands are preferred in many professional networks: Aruba and Cisco. They are industry giants and leaders in many respects. When comparing them directly, it’s clear that you are getting different sets of benefits depending on which you choose.

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Today’s News to Start Your Day:

• Lululemon is looking to sell its at-home fitness business Mirror and has approached competitor Hydrow as a potential buyer. 
• Netflix delayed the broad rollout of its password-sharing crackdown, which was originally planned for the first quarter. 
• Google is planning to launch its first foldable smartphone at upward of $1,700, making it the highest price-point product in Google’s smartphone series.
• Fox News has agreed to pay $787.5 million to resolve a defamation suit filed by Dominion Voting Systems. 

Happy Tuesday and Happy National Animal Cracker Day! Today we celebrate one of the most addicting snacks that also provides entertainment while you enjoy them. Are you an animal cracker fan?

In This Issue: Spring & Sports | CAT6 Ethernet Patch Cables | What are Ferrari-Style Ethernet Cables? | News to Start Your Day

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The CK Daily – Spring & Sports

Good Morning & Happy Tuesday! I’m absolutely loving the spring weather and the fact that so many things are blooming right now! I’ve mentioned before that I really am not a fan of winter, but this time of year does something for my soul! It’s so nice to see grass that’s green again, trees that have leaves, and flowers in full bloom. The new life is exciting to see… and it makes having to put up with spring allergies a bit more bearable!

It was a great sports-filled weekend around here. Cris mentioned yesterday that we had a company outing Friday night to the Gwinnett Stripers game which was tons of fun! On Saturday I attended the G-Day game in Athens which was also incredibly fun! There was a great crowd there, the atmosphere was upbeat, and the team looked impressive! Definitely builds excitement for the Fall!

Hope everyone has a great week!

Rebecca

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Product Spotlights & Updates

Our Cat6 Easyboot Ethernet cables make it simple for you to manage your Ethernet cabling with a tabbed boot which makes it easy to connect or disconnect the cable in hard-to-reach, tight, high-density situations, unlike the older style Half-moon boot cables – UTP, Pure Copper Wire, Lifetime Warranty – Backwards compatible with all Cat5e applications.

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Learning Center Article – What are Ferrari-Style Ethernet Cables?

Managing data centers and comparably powerful networks comes with a slew of daily challenges. The need for redundancy and absolute uptime can force any administrator to expend copious resources on equipment and manpower.

As a consequence, you will always be looking for ways to relieve this strain. You’ll find opportunities in every nook and cranny of your operation, but many admins completely miss one of the easiest sources of gain. A simple switch or upgrade in your Ethernet cables can boost your cost-efficiency in several surprising ways.

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Today’s News to Start Your Day:

• David’s Bridal is filing for bankruptcy for the second time in five years and is laying off over 9,000 employees over the next four months. 
• Ford has unveiled its next-generation Lincoln Nautilus to be imported from China. This vehicle will soon be produced for the U.S. at a Canadian plant. 
• Elon Musk’s SpaceX was set to launch on Monday but with under 15 minutes left in the countdown, the company announced a “scrub,” postponing the launch for at least 48 hours.
• Apple has officially launched its Apple Card savings account with a 4.15% annual percentage yield. 

Happy Monday! We hope you had an incredible weekend and were able to enjoy time outside with friends and family. Wishing you a wonderful week ahead!

In This Issue: Team Time! | HPE Aruba 2530 Series Switch | How to Calculate Power Consumption for your Server Room | News to Start Your Day

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The CK Daily – Team Time!

Happy Monday!

There’s a saying that my mother-in-law (a Georgia native) always says when she spots blackberries blooming along the roadside. Essentially it goes – when the blackberries are in bloom, freezing temperatures are over, so it’s time to start the garden. Well, the blackberries are indeed in bloom and it does seem to be getting warmer.

We got to enjoy some of this nice weather on Friday at Coolray Field watching our local Gwinnett Stripers (the Braves-affiliated minor league team). If you happened to notice, we cut off our late shipping on Friday so that our team members that wanted to, could come to the game. CablesAndKits went all out and booked a couple of suites, and it was fun times!

I actually didn’t end up watching most of the game as I spent a bunch of time talking to folks; our families were there, and kids were running around as well. I didn’t really appreciate these types of social events until they were gone. It’s funny how we take little things like that for granted. I’m an introvert by nature, so these social events in small doses are quite nice. For those who work remotely, do your companies have outings and in-person events? Even getting together for a lunch makes a world of difference. Have a great week!

Cris

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Product Spotlights & Updates

The Aruba 2530 Series of switches was designed to offer cost-effective, reliable, and secure access layer connectivity for a wide range of uses from enterprise, to branch offices and small to mid-sized businesses. These easy-to-deploy switches feature an energy-efficient design that lowers power consumption for greater energy savings.

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Learning Center Article – How to Calculate Power Consumption for your Server Room

When it comes to maintaining a server room, there are many balls to juggle. You have to constantly expand the capacity and throughput of the server systems. Demands only ever rise. At the same time, the space inside the room seems to perpetually shrink. Then, the ambient temperature rises, and you draw more and more power.

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Today’s News to Start Your Day:

• Japanese gaming giant Sega announced it has made a $776 million offer for the maker of Angry Birds puzzle game. 
• Volkswagen has unveiled a new large electric sedan that they say will have well over 300 miles of range in its top-level trim. 
• Elon Musk’s SpaceX is attempting to launch its towering Starship rocket to space for the first time today from a private facility in Texas along the Gulf Coast.
• Aspacecraft quietly speeding its way through the Solar System has caught its first glimpses of the asteroids it was sent to investigate from a distance of hundreds of thousands of kilometers.

Happy Friday & Happy National Gardening Day! It’s the perfect way to kick off the weekend – pick up a shovel, plant your seeds, and kick off a beautiful year of homegrown bounty!

In This Issue: Core Values | Cisco Meraki MX100 Security Appliance | What Are the Differences Between a Switch and a Bridge? | News to Start Your Day

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The CK Daily – Core Values

Happy Friday, folks! What are Core Values? And how do they impact us?

I’ll start with a brief definition. Core values serve as guiding principles for words, actions, and strategies. They underlie all activities, including how an organization’s team members interact with each other, customers, partners, and vendors.

Here is a Harvard Business Review article that goes more in-depth on core values.

Here is our list of core values:

Do The Right Thing
Honor Our Commitments
Build Processes That Don’t Fail
Make It About Relationship
Be A Model

Over the next few weeks, I will discuss the core values of CablesAndKits and how these positively impact you! Do you personally or does your company have a set of core values? I’d love to hear about them!

Have a great weekend!

Chris

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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.

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Learning Center Article – What Are the Differences Between a Switch and a Bridge?

Putting together a single, small network is relatively easy. Things really get complicated when you need to join multiple networks together. That’s where concepts like bridging come into play, and understanding the specific technology options available for this aspect of network design is essential to success.

To that end, you’ll find a simplified breakdown of bridges and switches below. It will help you see how devices can be leveraged to join networks and the trade-offs attached to those devices.

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Today’s News to Start Your Day:

• Walmart is selling Bonobos to brand management firm WHP Global and Express for $75 million, the second time its sold a direct to consumer brand this year. 
• The Washington Commanders are nearing a sale to an ownership group led by Philadelphia 76ers and New Jersey Devils Owner Josh Harris at around $6 billion. 
• General Motors will continue to test the price ceiling of its highly profitable full-size pickup trucks as it spends billions to transition to all-electric vehicles. The latest model revealed is the Chevrolet Silverado HD 2500 ZR2, a new off-road model for one of GM’s most expensive pickup trucks.
• Twitter will now allow users the option to buy and sell stocks and other assets from eToro.

Happy Thursday & Happy National Scrabble Day! Did you know that Scrabble is sold in 121 countries with 29 different language versions available? Are you a Scrabble fan?

In This Issue: A Weekend of Good Food & Good Friends | Yealink IP Desk Phone | Advantages and Disadvantages of VOIP | News to Start Your Day

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The CK Daily – A Weekend of Good Food & Good Friends

Good Morning! Happy Thursday!

I hope you all had a fantastic weekend. I had a pretty eventful weekend, and though it was lots of fun, I already committed to staying in the house this weekend. I enjoyed my time with friends but I always find it nice to take a break from the day-to-day and just relax.

We went to an adult arcade. The arcade is very nostalgic. it has so many different games ranging from Pacman to Mario Kart. I wouldn’t call myself a gamer. I used to play games but now, I really enjoy watching other people play compared to playing games myself. The next day I cooked all day long for a friend’s birthday. We had an Easter spread! It was a great time!

Although we had a great time, I know that this weekend I will be snuggled up in bed with a good book trying to catch up on the rest I missed out on last week… I can’t wait!

Have an amazing Thursday!

Joi

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Product Spotlights & Updates

Equipped with an adjustable and flexible 7-inch multi-point touch screen for much more comfortable viewing according to the needs, this Yealink SIP-T57W is perfect for all busy business professionals. The Yealink SIP-T57W boasts built-in Bluetooth 4.2 and the built-in dual band 2.4G/5G Wi-Fi, the SIP-T57W IP Phone ensures you to keep up with the modern wireless technology.

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Learning Center Article – Advantages and Disadvantages of VOIP

Everyone has a phone, but fewer and fewer people have landlines. Even as that trend continues, there are cases where a landline makes a lot of sense, and you want to have a stable, reliable phone for specific calls.

When that is the case, you actually have two options for your phone. You can get a traditional landline that runs through the old infrastructure, or you can run your phone through the internet, utilizing something known as VOIP.

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Today’s News to Start Your Day:

• Historic rain in South Florida causes severe flooding, the closing of schools, and also Fort Lauderdale’s airport. Read more here. 
• Leaked US documents have revealed that disagreements in Russia’s security apparatus led to the defense ministry being accused of undercounting casualties of the war in Ukraine. 
• The Duke of Sussex will be present at the King’s coronation, but his wife, the Duchess of Sussex, will not be attending.
• Apple supplier Cirrus Logic’s shares fell about 12% early afternoon Wednesday after a report from analyst Ming-Chi Kuo said the upcoming iPhone 15 Pro won’t use Cirrus’ haptic touch technology as heavily as initially expected.