Archives for April 2023

Happy Wednesday! We’re halfway through the week. We hope that your coffee pots are full as you head into the day and that you are looking forward to a great weekend ahead!

In This Issue: A Successful Week in Disney! | 4 Post Rack Mount Adjustable Rails | All about Cisco Catalyst 9200 Series Switches | News to Start Your Day

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The CK Daily – A Successful Week in Disney!

Good morning CK Family!

What a week it has been! Catching up from a week off can be a struggle, but I’m hanging in there.

I’m happy to report that the full week at Disney was a blast! We wrapped up the week with a day at Magic Kingdom and a second day at Epcot – both very magical! If anyone has ever been to Magic Kingdom, you’re likely aware of the sword in the stone that you can attempt to pull out. My brother thought he’d give it a shot thinking he’d have no luck with that sword successfully coming out of the rock however, he went up to the rock, pulled it out, and out came the sword!! I think his facial reaction was my favorite part because he didn’t actually think it would come out and when it did, everyone around was cheering him on!

On our second day in Epcot, we spent time going through all of the countries eating and drinking different drinks! We also never realized how many rides and shows are all throughout the countries.

Overall, the trip was a blast! We rode all the rides, enjoyed all the magic, and enjoyed all Mickey Mouse ice creams we could have ever dreamed of having.

Ashley

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Product Spotlights & Updates

Our CablesAndKits mount should be in the toolbox of every network admin and installer. No more looking for those hard-to-find rails or rack ears to mount your server, UPS, switch, firewall, or other devices. These fully adjustable, universal rails offer the simplicity and versatility to get the devices you need to be mounted in the rack, quickly and safely.

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Learning Center Article – All about Cisco Catalyst 9200 Series Switches

When you need to run an enterprise network, you need enterprise equipment. Cisco is an industry leader in this space for a reason, but even within the Cisco ecosystem, you have a lot of choices.

If you aren’t building a data center, but you still need a lot of users and a lot of bandwidth, the Catalyst 9200 series might be a perfect fit.

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Today’s News to Start Your Day:

• GM Ventures is leading a $50 million funding round for Texas startup EnergyX. EnergyX has developed technology that can extract lithium from brine much more efficiently than current methods.
• YouTube’s baseline “Sunday Ticket” package will cost $349 for YouTube TV subscribers or $449 for non-subscribers.
• Google TV is getting 800 free streaming channels from partners like Tubi, Plex and Haystack News.
• Raspberry Pi has received fresh investment from Sony’s semiconductor unit, in a deal that will let users and developers make visual sensory applications using its AI chips.

Happy Tuesday & Happy National Pet Day! It’s the perfect day to snuggle up and love on your sweet pet(s). Might even be the perfect day to throw in an extra treat throughout the day!

In This Issue: A Long Weekend & Time at the Masters | CAT5e Ethernet Patch Cable | 5 Tips to Stretch Your IT Budget | News to Start Your Day

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The CK Daily – A Long Weekend & Time at the Masters

Good Morning & Happy Tuesday! I hope everyone had a wonderful Easter weekend and spent some time reflecting on the reason we celebrate!

It was a busy long weekend for me as I took Thursday and Friday off work to head to Augusta with a friend! We spent Thursday checking out some trails down in the area. Who knew they have an incredible trail system with over 150 miles of trails!? Many of them get a lot of use from mountain bikers, but they were truly beautiful with lots of views of Clarks Hill Lake!

On Friday we were fortunate to be able to attend the Masters and it truly was a tradition unlike any other! We got there super early so that we’d have plenty of time to soak it in! It was all so impressive! We couldn’t get over how beautiful the grounds were, how kind the workers were, and how delicious the food was! We made sure to get our photo taken at Founders Circle and of course, we hit up the gift shop which was quite the experience! We spent a good bit of time hanging out at hole 1 and got to see lots of golfers come through. I couldn’t believe how close we were to them! It was such a fun day and I’m so thankful for the experience!

Rebecca

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Product Spotlights & Updates

Our Snagless CAT5e Ethernet cables are made with the highest quality copper wire construction to support networking Gigabit Ethernet speeds (up to 1000 Mbps) over short distances. This makes these patch cables perfect for general use, and are the most popular network cable for home or office networking.

Our new EASYboot, Ferrari-style patch cables have all the same benefits of the standard half-moon boot cables, but make it easier to connect and disconnect your ethernet cables. CablesAndKits’ ethernet cables are individually bagged and labeled in clean, clear packaging, which makes them easy to store and the length and type is easily identifiable.

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Learning Center Article – 5 Tips to Stretch Your IT Budget

One of the great challenges facing every IT department and provider in the business is the limited budget. IT experts can spend all of your money in a flash. There is always something newer, faster, and better to pursue. But, IT investments don’t come with guaranteed returns.

You have to make a budget that you can reasonably afford, and then you have to stretch that budget as far as possible to optimize your spending. It’s not always easy, but fortunately, there are a few tricks that can help in this department.

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Today’s News to Start Your Day:

• Following her stellar college career, Aliyah Boston was picked first by the Indiana Fever in the 2023 WNBA Draft.
• Chipotle Mexican Grill is piloting a new restaurant design to help the company reach its sustainability goals. Next year, more than 100 of the burrito chain’s new locations will use all-electric equipment and some additional elements from the new design.
• Walmart announced Thursday it plans to add electric vehicle charging stations to thousands of U.S. stores by 2030.
• The FBI is warning consumers about “juice jacking,” where bad actors use public chargers to infect phones and devices with malware. The law enforcement agency says consumers should avoid using public chargers at malls and airports, and stick to their own USB cables and charging plugs.

Happy Monday! Today we celebrate our best friends and worst enemies all in one – it’s National Siblings Day! Leave it to our siblings to be our biggest competition, strongest encouragement, and consistent reminder of all of the embarrassing moments in our lives.

In This Issue: A Grogu “Easter Egg” | Dell PowerEdge T620 | Benefits of Cisco 9300 Switches | News to Start Your Day

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The CK Daily – A Grogu “Easter Egg”

Happy Monday!

Hope you had a great weekend and a great Easter! Last week I got to spend some time out of the office and into the great outdoors! (That sounded like a car commercial or something…) but I did have a relaxing time camping with my family on the shores of Lake Lanier. This is the second year we’ve gone camping during Spring break and it seems like it’s going to be somewhat of a tradition. The kids enjoyed spending time outside and named our campfire Grogu (after the adorable baby Yoda character from the Mandalorian). My oldest would spend hours finding sticks to “feed” Grogu and the little one enjoyed playing near the water. Overall we had a great time, it got a little hot the last couple of days of camping, but we found some refuge under some trees near the lake. I’m glad to be back at work, recharged, and ready to go! I hope you all have a great week!

Fun little “Easter Egg” if you will… if you type in Grogu into a google search – Baby Yoda will appear in the lower right-hand corner of the page and you can click on him to see something happen :D.

Cris

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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 – Benefits of Cisco 9300 Switches

When you’re designing a major enterprise network, you need the best tools available. For that, you will often turn to Cisco. The brand has dominated this space for decades for a reason, and when you want the very best that Cisco has to offer, you might turn to the Catalyst 9300.

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Today’s News to Start Your Day:

• Walmart plans to add electric vehicle charging stations to thousands of U.S. stores by 2030.
• Tesla will open a new Megafactory in Shanghai, China, that is capable of producing 10,000 Megapacks a year. Megapacks are very large batteries that store energy, help stabilize the power grid and prevent outages.
• Eight people remained missing after the building they lived in exploded and collapsed early Sunday near the port of Marseille, France. 
• Apple Mac shipments fell 40.5% in the first quarter of 2023, compared to the same time the prior year.

Happy Good Friday, CK Family! What a beautiful weekend we have ahead of us. We hope that you are able to spend some time this weekend honoring and glorifying the sacrifice that has been made for us. Have a Happy Easter!

In This Issue: Is it just another Friday/ | DisplayPort Cable | All about Aruba 2530 Switches | News to Start Your Day

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The CK Daily – Is it just another Friday?

It’s Good Friday! What does today mean to you? Is it just another Friday?

Today is the day that we remember the crucifixion of Christ, the day that He suffered on our behalf. We also know that Sunday came, and He Arose! But imagine for a moment that you were there. Sunday had not come. It was likely hard to hold onto the faith it would take to believe that he would rise. Yet, they still believed. John 3:16 comes to mind. It says, “For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.”

We’re on the other side of history and know that Sunday came, and Jesus wasn’t in the tomb! So while today is a day of remembrance for the Man who gave his life for you and me, we know that Sunday is coming!

Please take a couple of minutes to listen to this video; Sunday Is Coming.

Have a great Easter!

Chris

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Product Spotlights & Updates

DisplayPort cables are used to connect your devices to a monitor. Primarily used for connecting your monitor to your PC, this cable will provide high performance based on updated signal and protocol technology.

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Learning Center Article – All about Aruba 2530 Switches

When you’re trying to find the perfect hardware for your network, you’re going to have to weigh a few things. You can get the most powerful hardware on the market, but you’ll pay a pretty penny for it.

If you want to optimize spending without skimping on performance, then you want to consider something in the range of Aruba 2530 switches. This is versatile hardware that can solve problems for many small and medium businesses, and these switches hold their own for a number of enterprise applications as well.

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Today’s News to Start Your Day:

• The markets are closed today in honor of Good Friday.
• The Super Mario Bros. Movie was released this week, the second movie this year that is a video game adaptation for the big screen. 
• Diddy said he pays Sting $5K a day for sampling Sting’s hit song “Every Breath You Take” 26 years ago in his song “I’ll Be Missing You.”
• Apple is opening its first store in Mumbai, India. 

Happy Thursday! Today we’re conjuring up memories of fairs, sporting events, and fun snacking – it’s National Caramel Popcorn Day! It’s the perfect day to grab your favorite caramel popcorn and enjoy!

In This Issue: Easter Traditions | 1080p Webcam w/ Microphone | Do I need the latest server? | News to Start Your Day

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The CK Daily – Easter Traditions

Good Morning!

This Sunday is Easter! Usually, I am pumped for Easter. It is full of exciting traditions! I love watching the children’s program at my church, organizing and sometimes participating in Easter egg hunts (you are never too old to run around searching for eggs), and of course, the mounds of food!

Every year since before I was born, the children practiced and presented these amazing Easter speeches. I had to participate when I was younger and now that I am older I really enjoy watching the small children get up and recite their speeches. Some of the kids sing songs, and others participate in an Easter skit. It brings me so much joy to see the little ones age and mature every year! They are just so adorable!

After church, we always head over to my granny’s house to spend time with our huge family and eat some amazing food! We always have such a spread I can never taste everything. That doesn’t stop my grandma from asking me if I want some food to go. I can never refuse! I always pile up a to-go plate and sneak to put it in my car so that no one takes it.

Then, I continue to enjoy the rest of the day. The kids usually head to the backyard after dinner and start the Easter Egg Hunt. We used to use real eggs but now we just use the plastic eggs that can be stuffed with candy, money, and treats. It is entertaining to watch the kids scramble trying to find the best eggs and see them glower over the one kid that finds the egg with the most money.

Anyways, I will be missing that this year. It will be my first time away from family on Easter Sunday, but that hasn’t stopped me from making plans. We (my fiance and I) are going to meet friends for some Easter fun. Hopefully, it will take my mind off missing the fun and delicious family traditions.

Do any of you have any Easter traditions? I would love to hear!

Joi

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Product Spotlights & Updates

The perfect plug-and-play webcam! Our 1080p HD webcam provides realistic, crisp, crystal-clear video and features a built-in microphone. Specially designed and optimized for professional quality video this webcam is perfect for meetings as well as for streaming on social and entertainment websites.

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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:

• Hartfields-Jackson Atlanta International Airport retains the title of the world’s busiest airport, with over 93 million passengers in 2022. 
• FedEx is looking to combine its Ground and Express network to save $4 billion in costs. 
• Private sector hiring slowed in March, adding just 145k jobs compared to 261k in February. 
• A tornado struck Missouri and took the lives of five people.

Pizza lovers, today is your day! It’s National Deep Dish Pizza day, the perfect day to celebrate one of America’s favorite varieties of pizza. What are your favorite toppings to put on your deep dish pizza?

In This Issue: Senior Year | Cisco Meraki MX64 Security Appliance | Understanding Ethernet Cable Gauge (AWG) | News to Start Your Day

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The CK Daily – Senior Year

Good morning CK Family!

I hope you’re having a great week. This week I’ve been taking some time away to celebrate my younger brother’s senior year and have been spending the week at Disney and Universal! So far, we’ve conquered Hollywood Studios, the rides at Epcot, and Universal/Islands of Adventure! It’s been fun-filled and exhausting, but a blast to spend time with my brother. Today we’re heading to Animal Kingdom and I think we’re all most excited about Avatar! We’ve heard great things about the rides but mainly about the structure they’ve built so we’re pumped to check it out.

I’m truly cherishing this time as it’ll be the last time I’m able to spend with him in more of a one on one setting for a while! With him soon heading off to college and many new adventures ahead of the two of us – I know our relationship will change but I know that it will continue to flourish into something even greater than it is now.

Look forward to catching you up on all the fun from the week next week!

Ashley

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Product Spotlights & Updates

The Cisco Meraki MX family of devices are multifunctional security & SD-WAN enterprise 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 – Understanding Ethernet Cable Gauge (AWG)

When you have to put a network together, you’re going to compare a lot of different components to try to squeak out better performance without spending obscene amounts of money. Because of that, you’re likely to consider using Ethernet for many (if not all) parts of your network.

What you might not know is that Ethernet comes in different sizes. More specifically, you can get different thicknesses in your Ethernet cables, and that thickness actually matters a lot when it comes to cable functionality.

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Today’s News to Start Your Day:

• The UFC and WWE are combining to create a $21.4 billion sports entertainment company!
• Google has launched a price guarantee badge. If you book through Google and the price drops, you will be refunded the difference. 
• Former President Trump was indicted in New York City yesterday.
• Apple has introduced a buy now, pay later feature for Apple Pay.