Archives for January 2024

Happy Monday! We hope you had a wonderful and warm weekend. Cheers to full pots of coffee, a completed to-do list each day, and just a great week ahead!

In This Issue: Seasonal Sickness & Celebrating 4 Years of Life 🎉 | Cisco 10GBase-SR SFP+ Module | Enhancing Network Security with Cisco ISE (Identity Services Engine) | News to Start Your Day

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The CK Daily – Seasonal Sickness & Celebrating 4 Years of Life 🎉

Happy Monday!

We’ve been dealing with a lot of seasonal sickness in the family lately and unfortunately, I wasn’t immune this time. This weekend went by with a blur, with my best friend DayQuil (not sponsored) and lots of fluids. It seems like the whole family except our youngest got hit. Other than the sickness it was a relatively relaxing weekend.

This week we’re preparing for my youngest daughter to turn 4 years old! I can’t believe she’s grown so much in what seems like such little time. She already has a full-on personality of her own, which is wholly different than her sister’s. I guess the extrovert gene was skipped this time and what came about was a shy little girl that is a lot like Bingo from the show Bluey. If you have any toddlers or know of any toddlers, then you might be familiar with Bluey, which is an Australian-based show about a family of dogs that go on random adventures.

Anyway, my daughter has a cackling laugh just like Bingo on the show and she tends to act like that character. I’m not sure if she’s been influenced by the show, or if that’s her personality. I find it hilarious. Anyway, I hope you all stayed warm and toasty this weekend, I hear the weather is changing for the warmer across the country. It was definitely quite cold (at least for Georgia) and I had to go out each morning to break up the duck’s multiple watering basins. They froze about 2 -3 inches thick, and ducks must have their water! Being sick and going outside to break up duck water in the morning is nobody’s idea of a good time, haha!

I’m looking forward to the warmer weather! I hope you have a great day and a wonderful week!

Cris

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Product Spotlights & Updates

Cisco compatible, the SFP-10G-SR-CK module is an industry-compliant SFP+ transceiver module that is a great choice for your enterprise wiring closet, data center, or other application, giving you a wide variety of 10 Gigabit Ethernet connectivity options. This 10GBASE-SR SFP+ module boasts many 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 – Enhancing Network Security with Cisco ISE (Identity Services Engine)

As your networks grow in scale, one of the hardest aspects of managing them is controlling who can access the network and how they are allowed to use it. It’s vitally important, as these networks often house private information in large droves. That’s to say nothing of the many systems you might be able to control from a single network.

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Today’s News to Start Your Day:

• OpenAI announced its first partnership with a higher education institution. Starting in February, Arizona State University will have full access to ChatGPT Enterprise and plans to use it for coursework, tutoring, research and more.
• Grab your favorite bread and sandwich fixings! Kraft just announced the launch of three new Singles flavors, giving fans even more ways to upgrade their cheesy culinary creations. The new cheese slices are available in Jalapeño, Garlic&Herb, and Caramelized Onion. This is the first time Kraft has released new Singles flavors in nearly 10 years.
• Mark Zuckerberg said that by the end of 2024, Meta’s computing infrastructure will include 350,000 H100 graphics cards.
• Want to see the most famous food brands from every state? Check them out here.

Happy Friday & Happy Weekend! Wishing you a wonderful and warm weekend ahead. Have plans? We’d love to hear about them!

In This Issue: Your Chaos-Free Server Room Awaits | AC Power Cord | What is LLDP? | News to Start Your Day

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The CK Daily – Your Chaos-Free Server Room Awaits

Happy Friday, folks! We’ve all seen the before and after pictures of a server room that went from chaos to something worthy of posting on Instagram. Just running the cables is one part of the challenge. Another part of the challenge is knowing where the cables go.

Entering the hero of the story: Cable Labeling! Let’s face it, tracing a 1′ or 2′ cable might be a breeze, but when you’re dealing with a 10’+ cable that mysteriously disappears into another rack, things can get a bit out of hand! 😵‍💫

If you’ve visited our site, you know we offer many IT products. But we also provide many services to our customers, and one of those services is cable labeling. Why stress over labels, printers, and debagging when we can handle it all for you? We’ll take the chaos off your hands, leaving you with plenty of time to focus on another project. Just reach out, and we’ll be glad to help!

Here is a Reddit post showcasing some great cabling work! Do you have pics of a satisfying cabling job you’ve completed or seen?

Have a great weekend!

Chris

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Product Spotlights & Updates

The C1062072 AC Power Cord is a versatile 6-foot cable with a 1-15P plug for standard power outlets and a C7 connector for various electronics. It’s constructed in a sleek black color with 18 AWG wires for efficient power transmission and durability. This cord is suitable for laptops, printers, gaming consoles, and more, making it a convenient choice for devices compatible with non-polarized 2-slot power cables.

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Learning Center Article – What is LLDP?

Everything runs on your network, but have you ever wondered how devices communicate with each other? How do they even find each other in the first place? This question has an answer that is both simple and complicated.

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Today’s News to Start Your Day:

• Preorders for Apple’s Vision Pro headset began Thursday, ahead of its U.S. release on Feb. 2. The virtual reality headset starts at $3,499, and buyers also have the option to pay in 12-month installments.
• Japan became the fifth country to land on the moon with JAXA’s SLIM lunar lander.
• December home sales were 6.2% lower than in the same month a year earlier. Inventory fell 11.5% from November to December, but was up year over year.
• Salad and Go wants to provide a healthier, cheap fast-food option with its $7 salads and wraps. Founded in 2013, the salad chain is now run by former Wingstop CEO Charlie Morrison.

Happy Thursday! Every quarter there’s a “Get to Know Your Customers Day” and today is that day. So – tell us about you!

In This Issue: CK Care: Third Party Maintenance | Outlet Smart PDU with 12 Foot Cord | 5 Key Factors to Keep in Mind While Installing Ethernet Cables | News to Start Your Day

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The CK Daily – CK Care: Third Party Maintenance

Happy Thursday, CK Family!

We’ve shared about CK Care: Third Party Maintenance before but we wanted to keep it top of mind. CK Care: TPM is a solution that offers traditional network management to help keep your network running smoothly.

In the realm of CK Care: TPM, efficiency, and reliability take center stage. It’s not just about keeping networks running smoothly; it’s a strategic approach that saves valuable time, money, and alleviates the common frustrations associated with IT management.

CK Care TPM is more than just a service, it’s a trusted partner. It’s the assurance of seamless operations and cost-effectiveness in a tech-driven landscape.

Learn more about CK Care: TMP here and if you have questions, reach out!

The CK Team

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Product Spotlights & Updates

Created from durable metal materials, this 8-outlet PDU is the ultimate reliable power distribution unit for all of your electronic needs. This device includes 8 well-spaced outlets along with a generous 12-foot cord giving you flexibility in placement options and freeing you from the limitations of proximity to power sources. This PDU is perfect for a variety of environments including data centers, server rooms, and more.

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Learning Center Article – 5 Key Factors to Keep in Mind While Installing Ethernet Cables

It’s time to install the Ethernet. That means your network planning should be in a good place, and you’re ready to plug in devices and get things running.

For simple networks, this can be a straightforward task that doesn’t take too long or run up costs. In more complicated networks, even installing Ethernet cables can be an ordeal.

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Today’s News to Start Your Day:

• Homebuilder sentiment improved in January, jumping 7 points to 44 on the National Association of Home Builders monthly index.
• Social media platform Reddit has drawn up detailed plans to launch its initial public offering (IPO) in March.
• Girl Scout Cookie season is here! There are 12 flavors to choose from this year. Check them out here.
• A federal appeals court will allow a ban on Apple Watch Series 9 sales to resume. A patent dispute between Apple and technology company Masimo over blood oxygen sensor technology has intermittently disrupted sales of Apple’s latest smartwatch.

Happy Wednesday! Today isn’t just any ordinary day; it’s Popeye The Sailor Man Day! So, grab your spinach, embrace your inner strength, and tackle today’s challenges with the resilience of everyone’s favorite sailor.

In This Issue: Vintage Stamps ✉️ | Cisco Compatible Console Cable | Unlocking the Potential of Cisco Virtual Stacking for Simplified Network Management | News to Start Your Day

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The CK Daily – Vintage Stamps ✉️

Happy Wednesday, everyone! Hope you’re having a great week and you’re staying warm. The weather lately has been a bit wild – so much snow, single-digit temps, frozen water pipes and so much more for so many. If you have snow, I hope you’re able to enjoy it!

Over the last few weeks, I’ve gotten some very exciting packages in the mail – vintage stamps! Let me explain a bit – for as long as I can remember, I was pen pals with my great-grandmother. She lived to be over 100 years old, so I got to enjoy many years of writing her back and forth. When I was little, I would write my name a hundred times on a paper and mail it to her and she’d send me back the sweetest notes. I’m so lucky to have some of those letters to this day that I’ll cherish forever. That said, writing her back and forth made me passionate about finding the perfect cards to mail to her each time and finding the cutest stamps. Lately – I was scrolling through social media and I saw someone posting about vintage stamps. To be honest – I had no clue this was a thing!

As a result, this sent me down a rabbit hole. I started shopping on eBay and various sites where people sell vintage stamps and purchased some of my own. They are incredible! I got several variety packs and I love looking at all of them. Also, I didn’t know they’d be a “lick and stick” style. I’m not sure what I thought they’d be – but I’m fascinated.

While my great-grandmother is no longer with us, I know she would be smiling so big to know that I am finding joy in such a simple thing. Now I get to send my pen pals notes with these stamps on them and hope they enjoy the selection that I picked out for them.

Aside from my newfound love for vintage stamps, I love stamps in general. I can’t wait for the release of the new 2024 stamps this year. Mainly because there is a manatee stamp coming out. Manatees are something my great-grandma would write me about all the time. Because she lived in the Florida Keys on the water, she always had manatees coming up in the basin. She would write me and let me know that she would feed them lettuce and fresh water and they loved it! So – I can’t wait to snag those in memory of her.

Stamps may seem boring to many, but I’m grateful to have a love for them the way that I do. Between my great-grandmother and my times over the summer as a counselor, where I could not have a phone to communicate, writing home to family was so fun and it brought a new level of communicating and truthfully, raw emotion – in writing. Have you ever had a pen pal or do you still have one?

Hope you have a great week!

Ashley

PS: enjoy the photo below of some of the ones I got!

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Product Spotlights & Updates

Upgrade your network with our brand new 10-foot, Cisco Compatible Light Blue USB A to RJ45 Rollover Console Cable. These cables will console your IT network by helping you communicate and configure a networking device. Console cable utilizes USB 2.0 to facilitate the console function. This newer type of console cable is compatible with most Cisco equipment.

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Learning Center Article – Unlocking the Potential of Cisco Virtual Stacking for Simplified Network Management

Managing enterprise networks is not an easy task. But, what if it could be?

That might be an overstatement, but what if there was a tool that enables you to scale your networks with less overall time and energy put into design and management? That tool does exist, and it’s known as virtual stacking.

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Today’s News to Start Your Day:

• Amazon is testing an artificial intelligence tool that lets shoppers ask questions about a specific product. The feature could keep shoppers from scrolling through pages of reviews or reading through a listing to find information about an item.
• Bring a Trailer, the popular online auction site for collectible cars, saw sales climb 2% to over $1.4 billion, a record for the company. It sold more cars in 2023 than in 2022, even as prices fell.
• A federal judge blocked JetBlue Airways’ purchase of budget rival Spirit Airlines after the Justice Department sued to stop the merger.
• The Space Development Agency awarded contracts to L3Harris, Lockheed Martin and Sierra Space to build missile defense-related satellites. The fixed-price contracts are worth $919 million for L3Harris, $890 million for Lockheed Martin and $740 million for Sierra Space.

Happy Tuesday! We hope everyone is having a great week. It seems like a week that we should say – don’t forget your snow boots, coat, and/or umbrella (that should cover all the crazy weather we’ve been experiencing this week!).

In This Issue: Chasing Frozen Waterfalls ❄️ | Meraki Access Point | DisplayPort 1.4 vs HDMI 2.1 Cables | News to Start Your Day

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The CK Daily – Chasing Frozen Waterfalls ❄️

Happy Good Morning & Happy Tuesday! Hope everyone is off to a great start to the week!

I know many of us across the country have been dealing with some frigid arctic blasts lately. Here in Georgia, we are preparing for some VERY cold temperatures courtesy of Winter Storm Heather. By early morning tomorrow, it’s expected to be 16°F with a windchill of 9°F where I live! As cold as that sounds, a look at the extended forecast shows temps even lower at 14°F on Saturday night!

I’m not a fan of the cold and have spent more than a little time searching for vacation rentals in more tropical locations! As much fun as it is to daydream of getting away, the reality is that it’s not practical, so I’ll just have to deal with the bone-chilling weather!

In the spirit of “when life gives you lemons, make lemonade,” I’m hoping to get outside and hike a bit on Saturday. While I don’t expect us to get any snow, the super cold temperatures should result in frozen waterfalls which I think would be absolutely beautiful to see! We will definitely have to bundle up, but I think it would be worth the discomfort for some magical views! I’ll be sure to share photos if we manage to find some frozen falls!

Stay warm this week!

Rebecca

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Product Spotlights & Updates

The Meraki MR33 is an entry-level, quad-radio, cloud-managed, 2×2:2, 802.11ac Wave 2 access point with MU-MIMO support. It provides a maximum 1.3 Gbps aggregate frame rate with concurrent 2.4 GHz and 5 GHz radios. It also features a dedicated third radio that provides real-time WIDS/WIPS with automated RF optimization.

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Learning Center Article – DisplayPort 1.4 vs HDMI 2.1 Cables

When you’re setting up a home theater, smart TV, gaming console, or PC, you need cables that connect the devices to the displays.

The thing is, you have a few options, and if you’re working with high-definition equipment, your leading options are HDMI and DisplayPort

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Today’s News to Start Your Day:

• Restaurant Brands International will spend about $1 billion to buy the largest U.S. franchisee of Burger King.
• Paramount’s “Mean Girls” opened to an estimated $28 million at the domestic box office, on its way to a $32 million take for the holiday weekend.
  Microsoft will offer its Copilot virtual assistant to small businesses with Microsoft 365 Business
• Premium and Business Standard subscriptions.
• Applebee’s is kicking off 2024 by bringing back one of its fan favorites, all-you-can-eat boneless wings, riblets, and double crunch shrimp.

Happy Monday & Happy MLK Day! May this day remind us of the power of compassion and the importance of working together for a better, more inclusive world. Wishing you a meaningful MLK Day and a fantastic start to the week!

In This Issue: Taking Care of Customers | Cisco Catalyst 2960-X Series | Understanding Indoor Fiber Optic Cable Color Schemes | News to Start Your Day

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The CK Daily – Taking Care of Customers

Happy Monday! And Happy Martin Luther King, Jr. Day as well!

I want to tell you about an experience I had with purchasing a refurbished laptop online. I had done my research and found the perfect laptop, with great specs, and within my budget. I decided to buy a refurbished laptop from a very well-known and top 20 tech company on the Fortune list. The checkout was simple enough and everything seemed to be going smoothly and I got an order confirmation and everything. Then I waited. And I waited some more… A few days passed, I hadn’t received an order update or a tracking number, but I was certain that the laptop was in stock. It was showing in stock on the website while I waited.

Well a few more days passed, and I began to worry, until finally I received a confirmation… that my order was canceled. I was confused by it all. So I called up customer service for this website, and they told me that the laptop was shipped out on another order and they told me not to worry because they dropped the charge on my card. I was not a happy camper and I repeated back their words… So you shipped the laptop on my order to another person? “Yes, that appears to be what happened, but we didn’t charge your card.” I didn’t care whether or not they charged my card or not… I cared about the laptop or maybe even an apology or something. I asked “Is there anything you can do to help me? I’m out of a laptop and still want to buy one.” The customer service agent asked me to hold while she got her manager. “Sir I understand that you are worried about the charge on your card, let me reassure you that it was only a hold, and your card was not charged.” was the first thing out of his mouth. I audibly groaned. I didn’t care about the card… I cared about the laptop and I asked if there is a similar model or maybe I could get the same model for the same price, can it be back ordered? What was this manager’s response? “Sir, someone else bought the laptop and we shipped it out already, there will be no charge to your card.” At this point, I was super upset, and I was done. I will never buy a laptop or device from this company again. Luckily, I found a better company and was able to get what I needed.

I hope we never ever remotely treat you the way this terrible vendor treated me. We pride ourselves on taking care of our customers. We’re not perfect, but we do our best to make things right. If you’ve come across a situation where we’ve stumbled, definitely let us know! We will not treat you like the folks in this story, we’ll treat you right.

I hope you have a great day and a wonderful week!

Cris

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Product Spotlights & Updates

This 48-port Cisco 2960X series switch offers 48 POE+ Ethernet ports with a 740W PoE budget and 4 1G SFP ports.

Cisco has always done an amazing job with catering to small and medium business. The Cisco 2960-X series is another generation to the already popular 2960 series that will enable the typical small to medium business to function at an enterprise level without the enterprise budget.

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Learning Center Article – Understanding Indoor Fiber Optic Cable Color Schemes

Fiber optics are common in many networks, and they’re essential to provide enough bandwidth and capability in modern digital communication. If you work in networking, you have to learn at least the basics of fiber optics.

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Today’s News to Start Your Day:

• The Rubik’s Cube turns 50 this year under the ownership of Spin Master. The iconic 3-by-3 grid has graced T-shirts, been turned into keychains, inspired architecture and sparked an entire subgenre of art. The cube claims 42% market share in the brain teaser category, and sales are still growing.
• At the end of Friday’s U.S. trading session, Microsoft was the most valuable public company by market capitalization, eclipsing Apple.
• The FAA said it will audit Boeing’s production line after a door plug blew out on an Alaska Airlines 737 Max 9
• Krispy Kreme announced on its website that it is partnering (again) with Biscoff to create Krispy Kreme Biscoff doughnuts, but this time they will be packed with more Biscoff flavor in each and every bite.