Archives for September 2023

Happy Tuesday! Today is full of national holidays! It’s National Hug & High-Five Day, National Day of Encouragement, & National Chocolate Milkshake Day. So, pick up your favorite milkshake, spread words of encouragement throughout your day, and high-five (or hug!) everyone you see. Have a great day!

In This Issue: Saturday in Athens | Cisco 3850 Series Power Supply Slot Cover | All About Aruba 6100 Series | News to Start Your Day

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The CK Daily – Saturday in Athens

Good Morning & Happy Tuesday! Hope everyone had a great weekend!

I got to attend the UGA vs. Ball State game in Athens on Saturday which was so much fun! The weather was a lot hotter than I was hoping for and we had to seek some shade near the concessions more than once to get a break from the hot sun. I’m sure their sales of water and Powerade were through the roof on Saturday!

I always love getting out to Athens for game day. The town is always buzzing with excitement and it’s fun to see all the fellow fans out there soaking in the sights and sounds and cheering on the team. It definitely makes me nostalgic for my college days and brings back lots of memories.

It’s funny now to see the college girls in their festive outfits, many wearing dresses and heels. I used to be that person, but am thankful to be at the age now where a t-shirt and shorts are acceptable game-day attire! I guess getting older isn’t all bad!

Rebecca

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Product Spotlights & Updates

The Cisco 3850 Series Power Supply Slot Cover/Blank is a small plastic cover that fits into a power supply slot on a Cisco Catalyst 3850 series switch. This cover is used when a power supply is not installed in a particular slot on the switch.

The Cisco 3850 Series Power Supply Slot Cover/Blank is a simple but useful accessory that helps to protect and maintain the performance of a Cisco Catalyst 3850 series switch.

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Learning Center Article – All About Aruba 6100 Series

Finding the right hardware for business networks is often a challenge. You have to strike a balance between performance that allows your business to thrive and the runaway costs that are easy to incur with networking equipment.

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Today’s News to Start Your Day:

• Smucker has agreed to pay $34.25 per share, or roughly $5.6 billion, to acquire Hostess Brands. Hostess saw demand for its Twinkies slip after raising prices, sparking investor concern and takeover interest from larger rivals. The deal is expected to close in Smucker’s fiscal third quarter, which ends in January.
• Disney and Charter reached a deal that put an end to their cable blackout fight. News of the agreement came hours before Monday Night Football was set to air on Disney’s ESPN. The deal will see ad-supported apps Disney+ and ESPN+ included in packages for some of Charter’s Spectrum customers.
• Elon Musk’s SpaceX signed a hefty deal with satellite operator Telesat. The Lightspeed missions will fly on SpaceX’s Falcon 9 rocket.
• Kim Jong Un’s heavily armored private train has crossed into Russia ahead of an expected and closely watched summit with Russian President Vladimir Putin amid warnings from the United States that the two leaders could strike an arms deal.

Happy Monday! We hope you had a wonderful weekend. We hope that you take some time today to remember and honor those who risked their lives to save others in the 9/11 attacks. We’re praying that you have a great week ahead.

In This Issue: Remembering 9/11 | Cisco Catalyst 2960X FlexStack-Plus Module | 3PCC vs Enterprise Firmware in Cisco IP Phones | News to Start Your Day

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The CK Daily – Remembering 9/11

Good Monday Morning!

Today marks the 22nd year after the 9/11 terrorist attacks. I will certainly never forget this date, and I think those of us who were old enough to remember, know exactly where we were when we heard the news. I was in an A/V class that hosted the morning announcements. My classmates and I had access to cable and heard the teacher make some remarks around the TV. That’s when we saw the second plane hit the other World Trade Center tower, live on CNN, the sound is definitely something I distinctly remember, and the gasps from those around me (I think I gasped myself, but was in a bit of a shock).

Today, as we keep the memory of those who have lost their lives, let’s not lose hope, and let’s take time to honor their memories as well as the heroes that emerged from this tragedy (first responders, firefighters, medical professionals, service dogs, and countless others). I hope you have a great day and a great week!

Cris

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Product Spotlights & Updates

Cisco Catalyst 2960X FlexStack-Plus, is an optional module that can be used with Cisco Catalyst 2960X series switches to provide stacking capabilities allowing multiple switches to be connected to operate as a single logical unit for a flexible network management.

It supports the FlexStack-Plus stacking technology, which allows up to 8 switches to be stacked together with a single master switch managing the entire stack. The module can be easily installed or removed without powering off the switch.

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Learning Center Article – 3PCC vs Enterprise Firmware in Cisco IP Phones

When it comes to Cisco IP phones, you have a lot of options, but what are they really doing for you? In some cases, the model of the phone dictates who actually controls a call when you use the phone.

This boils down to the firmware on the phone and what it supports. With Cisco phones, most support Cisco-made enterprise firmware. That’s simple enough, but sometimes, you need to work with a third-party call controller. In that case, Cisco 3PCC phones might be the better option.

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Today’s News to Start Your Day:

• Surgeons are using Meta’s Quest 2 to simulate procedures, allowing doctors to practice from home. Virtual reality technologies have gained adoption in the area of pain management. Medical schools are starting to insert VR into the curriculum.
• Novak Djokovic won the U.S. Open men’s final Sunday. At 36, around retirement age in the sport, Djokovic is the oldest man to win the tournament.
• Apartment rents have been declining for several months, and they look like they’re about to go negative compared to a year ago. Rents in August were just 0.28% higher than August 2022, according to real estate tech platform RealPage. Compare that to a year ago, when rents were posting 11% annual growth.
• Qualcomm has reported that it will supply Apple with 5G modems for smartphones through 2026.

Happy Friday & Happy National Star Trek Day! The perfect day to remember the timeless legacy Star Trek has made. Are you a Star Trek fan?

In This Issue: Who are you thankful for? | Cisco 10GBase-SR SFP+ Module | Everything You Need to Know About the OSI Model | News to Start Your Day

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The CK Daily – Who are you thankful for?

Happy Friday, folks! Another week has flown by. We have less than four months till 2024, and Christmas will be here in 108 days! 🎄

One of my goals for 2023 was to focus on gratitude. Reflecting on my progress this year, my genuine gratitude is really about the people in my life. Yes, I’m thankful for some material things, but things don’t bring true gratitude (except maybe air conditioning 😂).

I am incredibly blessed…I get to work with some fantastic people here at CablesAndKits. They care for each other and our customers, vendors, etc. It’s fun to work with a group of people when they know you have their back and they have yours.

The Mayo Clinic says gratitude can improve sleep, mood, and immunity. And it has a host of other benefits.

So, who are you thankful for?

Have a great weekend!

Chris

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Product Spotlights & Updates

The Cisco SFP-10G-SR module gives you a wide variety of 10 Gigabit Ethernet connectivity options for your data center, enterprise wiring closet, and service provider transport applications. This module boasts a variety of features and benefits, including being the industry’s smallest form factor, which results in the greatest density per chassis.

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Learning Center Article – Everything You Need to Know About the OSI Model

When it comes to networking, a deeper understanding can help you design more effectively and operate more efficiently. But, that understanding doesn’t always come easily. Professionals spend a lifetime acquiring knowledge and growing and studying. Still, you can break down some essential knowledge pretty quickly, and to help you do that, this is a crash course in the OSI networking model. It’s a staple in the industry, and if you can grasp the basics, it can help you take steps into a deeper and wider world.

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Today’s News to Start Your Day:

• Hurricane Lee is expected to continue strengthening Friday after quickly morphing into a powerful Category 5 storm that is now packing destructive maximum sustained winds of 165 mph as it spins hundreds of miles east of the Caribbean
• The IAA Mobility motor show is taking place in Munich, Germany this week, and there is no shortage of cars on display. The theme was electrification, with major players like BMW and Mercedes showing off their electric vehicle offerings, while a large number Chinese players from Xpeng to BYD were also in attendance. The BMW Vision Neue Klasse, Mercedes-Benz Concept CLA Class, Lucid Air Midnight Dream Edition and even a Lamborghini made of Lego pieces were on display.
• Apple shares fell more than 3% on Thursday, following a 4% decline on Wednesday, after several reports suggested that Chinese government workers could be banned from using Apple’s iPhones. China has ordered officials at central government agencies not to bring iPhones into the office or use them for work.
• Nearly 15 million cable viewers lost access to ESPN, ABC and other Disney-owned channels over Labor Day weekend when the global entertainment company and cable giant Charter Communications failed to renew a distribution deal. Attempting to watch the U.S. Open or games from the first weekend of the college football season, subscribers to Charter’s cable TV service, Spectrum, instead encountered blackouts.

Happy Thursday CK Family! We hope you are having a great week and are looking forward to the weekend. How can we be praying for you as we close out the week?

In This Issue: The Magic of Fall 🍂 | Cisco 3560X/3750X Four-Port Gigabit Ethernet Network Module | Best Practices for Data Security in 2023 | News to Start Your Day

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The CK Daily – The Magic of Fall 🍂

Good Morning and Happy Thursday!

I have always been a summer person. I love the sun, activities, and excitement that come with summer. But this year, I have never been so ready for fall. The beautiful changing of leaves and the sweaters are calling my name right about now! I am ready to sit outside and watch football with family and friends, plan gatherings, and decorate. I’ve even started buying fall towels and coffee mugs as if that will expedite the start of the season.

As the temperatures begin to cool, there’s a comforting nostalgia in the air. It’s that time of year when the world seems to slow down just a bit, allowing us to savor moments with loved ones and rediscover the joy of warm apple cider and hearty bowls of chili. So, here’s to embracing the magic of fall and all the cherished memories it’s bound to bring!

Joi

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Product Spotlights & Updates

When it comes to distributing fast signals across long distances, Cisco has a number of technology options available. One of them is the Cisco 3560x/3750x four-port Gigabit Ethernet module.

While it sounds like a mouthful, this module is designed to make networking approachable. It is energy-efficient, secure, and scalable.

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Learning Center Article – Best Practices for Data Security in 2023

Cybersecurity remains an impossible task. No matter how hard you work at it, there’s always someone out there with a new idea that you just couldn’t anticipate, and sometimes, that leads to serious security issues.

The good news is that when you stay on top of trends, you can beat emerging data center security threats without having to devote every last moment and penny to the problem.

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Today’s News to Start Your Day:

• Zoom announced a new AI companion tool for its video conferencing platform. The tool will provide features like meeting summaries, highlights, and coaching across Team Chat, Meetings, Phone, Email and Whiteboard.
• Apple has struck a deal with Arm through 2040 and “beyond,” Arm said in a SEC filing on Tuesday. Arm is set to debut on the Nasdaq stock exchange in the coming weeks at a total valuation that could be as high as $52 billion, which would be the biggest technology IPO this year.
• Comcast and Disney have modified their agreement to officially begin the process of deciding Hulu’s future ownership to late September. Comcast owns 33% of Hulu after reaching a deal with Disney five years ago that initially was set to run through January 2024.
• Tesla plans to install 20,000 electric vehicle charging stations across 2,000 Hilton properties in the U.S., Mexico and Canada beginning next year. The goal of the move is that it will help Tesla remove a barrier to adoption and help Hilton reattract business customers.

Put the Geico commercial on repeat because it’s Hump Dayyyyyyyyy! Cheers to a great rest of the week ahead.

In This Issue: Football Adventures, Upsets, and NFL Kickoff Excitement! | CAT6 Ethernet Patch Cables, Easyboot | North-South and East-West Traffic Explained | News to Start Your Day

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The CK Daily – Football Adventures, Upsets, and NFL Kickoff Excitement!

Good morning and Happy Wednesday!

I hope everyone has had a great week so far and that you are looking forward to a great and restful weekend ahead.

Last week and this past weekend was quite the adventure. We traveled up to Ohio to visit my brother, see his school, and watch his first-ever college football game. It was a blast! It was a bit of a different experience for me as I went to a school that is quite a bit larger than his school is – so the overall game day and game experience was quite the opposite of what I was used to, but was still fun!

In between visiting my brother and adventuring around the area, we also enjoyed some good college football! Talk about some upsets and some GOOD games. I went to school at East Carolina University (ECU), so I was pretty proud of how they played against Michigan in the Big House! What games were you most impressed with or shocked by?

Cheers to another weekend of football coming up and the NFL season kicking off tonight! Make sure your fantasy line-up is set.

Ashley

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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. CablesAndKits CAT6 cables conform to the standards both network administrators and end users rely on for conformity and functionality.

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Learning Center Article – North-South and East-West Traffic Explained

When you design a network, you want endpoint devices to be able to reach the internet. But, you often need devices inside your network to be able to communicate with each other easily and freely.

Those two ideas form the foundation of north-south and east-west networking traffic. If you take a minute to learn a little more about these concepts, you’ll see how they can help you with network design and security.

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Today’s News to Start Your Day:

• The NFL season begins tonight with the Kansas City Chiefs playing the Detroit Lions. More football games will be streamed exclusively on services such as ESPN+ this year than ever before. Media companies are offering more exclusive content in hopes of locking in long-term customers.
• Apple has acquired BIS Records, a 50-year-old Swedish record label with a focus on classical music, as part of its continuing efforts to attract classical music fans. They will fold it into its Apple Music Classical and Platoon music services.
• Tropical Storm Lee is expected to rapidly intensify into a hurricane in the Atlantic Ocean by this weekend.
• The U.S. Secretary of State, Antony Blinken, has arrived in Kyiv with plans to have meetings with key Ukrainian officials, including President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba.

Happy Tuesday! Today we say “Hold the toppings!” and celebrate National Cheese Pizza Day. Order up or bake up your own cheese pizza to celebrate! 🍕

In This Issue: Embracing the Fall Spirit | Cisco Nexus 9332 & 9372 Fan | What is Spine-Leaf Architecture? | News to Start Your Day

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The CK Daily – Embracing the Fall Spirit

Good Morning & Happy Tuesday!

I hope everyone enjoyed the long Labor Day weekend! It was so nice to see college football back on TV, and we even got to enjoy some cooler morning temperatures over the weekend which really made it feel like a true kickoff to Fall! Even though I know we’ll have plenty more days that feel like Summer, I’m excited to start pulling out some Fall decorations and maybe even baking a few Fall/pumpkin treats soon.

My nieces and nephew have expressed interest in baking recently so I’ve been saving some recipes for us to try baking together. I’ll be sure to share if we make anything that’s a hit!

Hope everyone has a great week!

Rebecca

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Product Spotlights & Updates

Designed to keep Nexus switches nice and cool this port-side exhaust fan module, blue in color to indicate forward airflow, is used to optimize airflow in the Nexus 9332 and 9372.

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Learning Center Article – What is Spine-Leaf Architecture?

In data centers, networking is always pushing the limits of data rates and low latency. At the same time, redundancy is essential to prevent very costly downtime. How do you get the best of every world?

One viable answer is to utilize a spine-leaf architecture. It can simplify your networking design, reducing the total number of switches needed while solving the problems of latency and throughput.

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Today’s News to Start Your Day:

• Steve Harwell, the lead singer of Smash Mouth, the alternative rock band known for the cheerful pop perennial “All Star,” passed away on Monday at the age of 56.
• AMC Entertainment has reported that ticket sales for Swift’s film reached $26 million, a new record for the century-old company. Previously, the highest single-day ticket sales record was held by “Spider-Man: No Way Home” with $16.9 million.
• Starting Friday, movie theaters will have a steady stream of jump scares, creepy monsters, and gore. Releases such as “A Haunting in Venice” will help fill seats while other movies move to next year as Hollywood strikes continue.
• It has been reported that North Korean leader Kim Jong Un may travel to Russia to meet President Vladimir Putin for discussions on a potential deal to supply Moscow with weapons for its war on Ukraine.