Archives for June 2023

Happy Thursday! We are inching closer and closer to the weekend. Seems that it’s been a rainy week for many, so we are hoping for some sunshine this weekend to enjoy. We hope you have a wonderful day!

In This Issue: Ways to Push Through Stormy Days | Cisco 3825 Router Fan Replacement | Choosing the Right Switch for your Crypto Mining Network | News to Start Your Day

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The CK Daily – Ways to Push Through Stormy Days

Happy Thursday everyone!

Yesterday, a powerful storm raged in my area with high winds, heavy rain, and frequent lightning. Eventually, the storm caused a power outage, which led me to reflect on life a bit. There are moments when we face such challenging storms that our inner power gets depleted. In those times, how do we regain our strength? What measures do we take to keep ourselves resilient?

Personally, I found great solace in Ashley’s CK Daily from yesterday. It resonated with me and made me contemplate those times when I feel low and unable to rejuvenate, regardless of my efforts. I admire how she discovered strategies to navigate through such stormy days. She acknowledges when her energy is dwindling and actively seeks out activities that reignite her inner light.
Recharging during difficult times is crucial for maintaining our well-being. A few ways I like to decompress to keep my light shining amidst the storms include self-care: For example, taking time for relaxation and rest. Seeking inspiration: Such as reading motivational books, listening to uplifting podcasts, or watching inspiring movies. Finally, my favorite, connecting with others: I like to take time to lean on friends and family during tough times. This usually provides me with the emotional support and encouragement that I need.

I will also add Ashley’s strategy to my “pick me up” list. I would love to know, what strategies you use to keep pushing on your stormy days.

Joi

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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 – Choosing the Right Switch for your Crypto Mining Network

Crypto mining is a popular way to try to make money. In its simplest form, miners use simple setups that make a few extra bucks here and there. In extreme cases, miners dedicate entire warehouses of hardware to mining, and when they are efficient enough, they can make big money.

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Today’s News to Start Your Day:

• Bed Bath & Beyond’s stores will disappear after Overstock.com agreed to buy the retailer’s intellectual property and digital assets for $21.5 million during a bankruptcy-run auction.
• United Airlines will start sending meal and hotel vouchers to travelers’ smartphones via its app and website.
• The U.S. Department of Agriculture has approved the sale of cell-cultured chicken by Good Meat and Upside Foods.
• Amazon’s Prime Day deal bonanza will run July 11 and 12. The company announced Wednesday that it will offer invite-only deals for the first time, and discounts will be added to third-party retailers’ websites as part of its Buy with Prime program.

Happy Wednesday & Happy National Smoothie Day! Smoothies are full of endless possibilities of flavor. What’s your favorite smoothie recipe to enjoy?

In This Issue: Practicing Gratefulness | Cisco 100GBASE-QSFP Transceiver Module | All About Cisco Active Optical Cables | News to Start Your Day

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The CK Daily – Practicing Gratefulness

Good morning CK Family!

I write you this morning from a local coffee shop because this morning I was kindly awoken with a message from our internet provider that we had an outage in our area. I won’t lie, I was not happy when I saw the message and realized that service would not be restored until quite a bit later in the day.

When you work from home, you don’t think about the impacts of a possible outage and especially for how long said outage can be. Today it’s super rainy, I didn’t sleep super well last night, and being eight months pregnant – the mornings can be rough. But here I am.

As I sat in the coffee shop, I realized that my mood was not great resulting in a decline in my motivation to get started with my date. Rather than attempting to start work in this mood, I decided to write down 3 things I’m grateful for at the coffee shop this morning. Here they are:

1. Working internet!
2. The smell of good coffee flowing through the building.
3. The kind baristas asking me if I had a music preference this morning that they can play.

Here’s to keeping my eye on all the wonderful things around me today, enjoying a new space to work in for the day, and praying for a successful restoration of internet in our area soon!

Have a great rest of the week!

Ashley

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Product Spotlights & Updates

When it comes to the fastest in modern networking, the Cisco 100 GBASE QSFP transceiver module is ahead of the game. It’s a short-range transceiver module that supports link lengths up to 1,000 meters. At such lengths, it can readily maintain transmission speeds of 100 Gbps. It achieves such communication through multi-mode fiber that can connect via MTP or MPO.

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Learning Center Article – All About Cisco Active Optical Cables

When you need the fastest possible speeds for a network, fiber optics becomes a necessity. Yet, there is a range of multi-gigabit networking that is supported by both copper and fiber cables. Those speeds usually range between 10 and 100 Gigabits per second, and if that describes your network, then you have several viable options for how you connect your devices.

One option is that of active optical cables. They can provide powerful, cost-effective connectivity for many different network designs.

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Today’s News to Start Your Day:

• Target is testing an extension facility that helps it get online orders to more shoppers the day after they click “buy.
• Bed Bath & Beyond plans to hold a separate sale process for Buy Buy Baby, as it looks to nab a bid solely for what is considered its crown jewel assets.
• Eli Lilly struck a $2.4 billion deal to acquire Dice Therapeutics in a bid to bulk up its treatment portfolio for immune-related diseases.
• The U.S. Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor and Pensions has launched an investigation into Amazon’s workplace safety practices.

Happy Tuesday & Happy World Productivity Day! How do you strive to be more productive in your week?

In This Issue: A Fight to a Strong Recovery | Cisco 3800 Series Integrated Services Router | What are SFP’s? | News to Start Your Day

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The CK Daily – A Fight to a Strong Recovery

Good Morning & Happy Tuesday! I wanted to start off by saying a big THANK YOU for the prayers for my cousin last week! The responses were so kind and thoughtful, and we have certainly felt those prayers.

I didn’t provide many details last week because the injury was so new and I didn’t want to overstep my bounds, but some time has now passed and, as it turns out, the local news picked up David’s story. He is a Dekalb County Fire Captain, which I think brought some interest to the story. It’s an unusual situation when someone who does a dangerous job and puts their life on the line for others suffers a severe injury doing something totally unrelated.

David suffered a spinal injury in the accident that currently has him with no feeling from the chest down. That’s the terminology the doctors are using, but he does have use of his arms and fingers (although it’s not perfect). Fortunately, his spinal cord was pinched and not severed, so there is some hope for him to make a recovery and be able to walk again. We’re so thankful that he was accepted to the Shepherd Center here in Atlanta which is a state-of-the-art spinal rehabilitation center. He was transported there yesterday and was surrounded by many firefighters clapping and cheering him on as he was loaded into the ambulance. It really was a sweet moment. We ask for continued prayers as he moves forward in his fight to recover!

Here’s a link to the article and news clip if you are interested in hearing his story!

Rebecca

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Product Spotlights & Updates

Cisco builds on its industry-standard line of Integrated Services Routers with the 3800 series. These routers offer superior scalability and investment protection through it’s built in modular design. Application Layer functions, intelligent network services and converged communications all combine to provide a true seamless, robust, intelligent routing solution.

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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:

• A submersible craft carrying five people in the area of the Titanic wreck in the North Atlantic has been missing since Sunday, setting off a search and rescue operation by the U.S. Coast Guard. The Coast Guard confirmed Monday that it was searching for the vessel after the Canadian research ship MV Polar Prince lost contact with a submersible during a dive about 900 miles east of Cape Cod.
• Russia attacked military and infrastructure targets across Ukraine early on Tuesday, including in the capital Kyiv and the western city of Lviv, Ukrainian officials said. Ukraine said it had shot down 32 of 35 Iranian-made Shahed drones launched from Russia’s Bryansk region and the Azov Sea.
• Apple is trying to trademark images of apples – the fruit, not the computers. Apple has been trying to trademark the apple in Switzerland since 2017 and has launched similar applications in several other countries.
• ‘Elemental’ Box Office Debacle: Pixar Movie Opens to Record-Worst $29.6M. That’s the lowest three-day weekend start in the history of the storied animation company when adjusting the opening of 1995’s ‘Toy Story’ for inflation.

Happy Monday & Happy Juneteenth! We hope you have a wonderful week ahead. If we can be praying for you this week, please let us know!

In This Issue: The Quite Island of Jekyll | Rack Mount Patch Panel | PVC vs LSZH vs OFNP vs OFNR Cable Jackets | News to Start Your Day

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The CK Daily – The Quite Island of Jekyll

Happy Monday and Happy Juneteenth!

I hope everyone had a great weekend and a great Father’s Day. I had a restful weekend after being out of town for most of the week on one of Georgia’s “Golden Isles”, Jekyll Island. It was great to spend some quality time with my family and get away and be near the ocean. So, Jekyll sits as a barrier island near a few rivers and some marshes, and because of that the water isn’t exactly crystal clear. The beaches are a little muddy, but there’s still some charm and beauty to this quiet little island. The island is also known for its majestic driftwood beach, where the remnants of live oaks and other trees litter the beach (it looks way better than it sounds!).

For it being summertime, there were virtually no crowds, so if you’re looking for a quiet place away from large swaths of tourists, I’d highly recommend Jekyll. The kids loved the Georgia Sea Turtle Center where turtles of all kinds are rescued and rehabilitated (it’s Georgia’s only sea turtle education and rehab facility). They also loved going to the waterpark that’s nestled on the island, Summer Waves. All of the local restaurants that we went to had options for delicious Georgia caught shrimp and we didn’t have a bad meal!

If you’re a birder, this island won’t disappoint, I was surprised at the number of cardinals that make the island home, but you’ll find all sorts of birds, from snowy egrets to all manner of gulls, pelicans, and even woodpeckers. One morning I was surprised to see a great horned owl on the beach.

Photography is a hobby of mine, something that I don’t get to do that often, but when the kids didn’t want to wake up at 5 in the morning on vacation, it was my opportunity to grab the camera and go. Here are some photos that I was able to capture of this golden isle~

Cris

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Product Spotlights & Updates

Our Cat5e rack mount patch panels meet and exceed all performance specifications mandated by Cat5e technical specifications. The design of these products, assures maximum performance headroom and optimum levels of performance.

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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:

• Amazon doesn’t plan to host its re:MARS conference on cutting-edge technologies like robotics and space this year. It will incorporate the subjects into its existing lineup of Amazon Web Services events.
• Twitter plans to focus on video, creator and commerce partnerships to revitalize the social media company’s business beyond digital advertising
• The United States and China have pledged to stabilize their badly deteriorated ties during a critical visit to Beijing by U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken, who met Monday with Chinese President Xi Jinping. Xi pronounced himself satisfied with progress made during talks in Beijing. But, Blinken told media, China refused to resume military-to-military communications, a U.S. priority.
• An extreme, prolonged heat wave from Texas to Louisiana is fueling deadly southern storms that have resulted in the deaths of several people and have left hundreds of thousands without power.

Happy Friday! We hope you have a wonderful weekend ahead. What are your weekend plans?

In This Issue: Summer Fun! | Cisco Meraki MX64W Security Appliance | All about Cisco Direct Attach Cables | News to Start Your Day

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The CK Daily – Summer Fun!

Summer is here! The kids are out of school, college graduations have wrapped up and the countdown to a new school year or the next steps in one’s future is on. In the meantime, a summer of fun is ahead.

What is on your calendar for the summer? Are you heading out of the country? To the beach? Or are you having a staycation at home? We’d love to hear more about your summer plans!

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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 – All about Cisco Direct Attach Cables

When you need to do multi-gigabit networking, you need high-quality cables to carry the signal. While many people assume that fiber optics are necessary for these connections, there are cases where you can still use cable, and when you can, it saves a lot of money. If you’re still shopping for cables, it’s worth considering DAC as an option.

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Today’s News to Start Your Day:

• Virgin Galactic aims to launch its commercial space tourism service in late June.
• Sports gambling powerhouse DraftKings has made a $195 million, all-cash offer for PointsBet’s U.S. assets.
• GoDigital plans to bid for Vice Media. Vice is selling itself out of bankruptcy.
• NASA astronauts, Woody Hoburg and Steve Bowen, successfully installed a new solar array on the International Space Station during a 5-hour spacewalk, boosting power production. This marked Bowen’s tenth spacewalk, tying the record for most U.S. spacewalks.

Happy Thursday & Happy National Megalodon Day! In the spirit of Shark Week kicking off on July 11th, today teaches us about the most massive shark that ever lived! Are you a shark fan?

In This Issue: Acts of Kindness | Rack Mount Punch Down 1RU Patch Panel | What is a Cat8 Ethernet Cable and How is it Different? | News to Start Your Day

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The CK Daily – Acts of Kindness

Good Morning! Happy Thursday! This week, my focus has been on being more kind to others. In a world that can often feel disconnected and overwhelming, small acts of kindness can make a significant difference. A simple gesture such as a smile, a helping hand, or even a heartfelt word has the power to touch someone’s heart in ways we may never fully comprehend. Random acts of kindness are not only important for creating a more compassionate society, but they also have the ability to uplift, inspire, and transform lives.

Imagine having the power to touch hearts, create connections, and transform lives. Random acts of kindness help remind us of our shared humanity and the immense impact we can have on each other’s well-being. By embracing kindness in our daily lives, we contribute to a more compassionate world where hearts are uplifted, hope is restored, and lives are changed. Let us remember the power we hold to make a difference, one small act of kindness at a time.

Was there a time that someone impacted your life or you performed an act of kindness? I would love to hear your stories.

Joi

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Product Spotlights & Updates

Patch panels are a great way to organize and terminate cable runs in the wiring closet. Adding these panels to racks allows for easy identification and faster cabling adds/changes and modifications. Punch down the twisted pair of cabling in the back of the device and you are ready to plug in RJ45 patch cables in the front.

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Learning Center Article – What is a Cat8 Ethernet Cable and How is it Different?

Cat8 is the most modern, fastest Ethernet cable standard available today. Although Google tried to make fiber optics the standard for home internet connections, Ethernet has maintained a presence, and every few years new iterations are released that offer better performance. Let’s see how Cat8 stacks up to previous iterations of Ethernet.

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Today’s News to Start Your Day:

• Mediterranean restaurant chain Cava is going public. They are expected to make their market debut on the New York Stock Exchange today.
• The stakes are high as Pixar releases its 27th feature film in theaters this Friday. “Elemental,” a romantic immigrant story told through anthropomorphic elements of nature, arrives as Disney is under pressure to prove it hasn’t lost its golden touch in animation.
• Lawmakers on the House Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure narrowly voted in favor of a measure to raise the mandatory retirement age for pilots from 65 to 67.
• The European Union charged Google with breaching antitrust rules in advertising technology.