In This Issue: Cat6A RJ45 110 Type Keystone Jack | How does Cat8 Ethernet Compare to 40G Fiber Optic Solutions? | News to Start Your Day
Happy Friday! We hope you’ve had a great week! Looks like we will have some rainy weather around us this weekend, so it’s a perfect time to finish up some of those inside house projects or just spend time relaxing. However you decide spend your weekend, we hope you enjoy it!
The CK Daily – We Love Serving You!
Happy Friday, folks! It’s hard to believe that another week has flown by!
We recently received the following feedback from two customers. Feedback like this encourages us and pushes us to continue to wow you. We really do love serving you!
C & K is my absolute “go to” vendor for Cisco switches and routers. Our org has saved tens of thousands of dollars since we started using C&K. And the service is top of the line with superfast shipping. Great company to work with. We highly recommend C&K!!!
All I ordered was a pair of Ethernet cables. The C&K folks got them sent off almost immediately and they arrived ahead of time. Can’t argue with that. The cables look sturdy and well made. — Plus they arrived with a gift of a measuring tape (English/ metric) and a pack of M&Ms! Wow, that’s how you build customer loyalty. Great work and thanks to C & Ks!
We are continually looking for ways to improve our service. With that in mind, do you have any stories of excellent service from other companies?
And if we happen to have let you down along the way, please reply to me. I’d love the opportunity to make it right.
Thanks,
Chris
Product Spotlights & Updates:
Friday is here! Today, we’ve got a small, but mighty gadget to showcase. The Cat6A RJ45 110 Type Keystone Jack, KEY1106ARE.
This Red CAT6A RJ45 keystone jack supports both T568A and T568B wiring and uses the industry standard 110 interface. In addition, it is UL listed, interchangeable with many industry brands and has a four by four termination layout.
Like all of our products, this Jack is backed by our Lifetime Warranty and comes in many different fun colors.
Enjoy 20% off the red one this week!
How does Cat8 Ethernet Compare to 40G Fiber Optic Solutions? – CK Learning Center
Enterprise networking is in an exciting place right now. Cat8 Ethernet cabling is finally becoming widely available. With that availability comes a drop in price and a viable alternative to fiber optics for 40G networking. This means that enterprise servers and networking systems have substantially widened options for all manner of applications. With that excitement comes the need for careful review. Today, we’re going to compare Cat8 and fiber optics in 40G networks to help you determine which is best for your own foray into 40G.
Cat8 Ethernet
Before we look into Cat8 as a means of cabling 40G applications, it’s important to overview the basics. It’s a fairly new addition to the copper family, and it’s made specifically for high-speed service. Cat8 utilizes the same two-pair concept as other copper cables. The secret to the extremely high-performance speeds lies in the transmission frequency. Cat8 operates at 2 GHz. This enables a much larger stream of data through the cable each second, but it requires substantially more shielding to combat interference and cross-talk.
Cat8 can handle 10G, 25G and 40G networking demands at distances up to 30 meters. It still works with RJ-45 connectors, but it can also be sourced with Class II non-RJ45 connections when needed.
Why Is Cat8 Good for 40G?
Cat8 was made for 25G and 40G networks. They still represent an extremely large section of enterprise networking, so it makes sense that Cat8 is seeing rapid growth in market share. It is designed to be forward and reverse compatible with 10G, 25G and 40G networking equipment. This makes it a great choice for networks that are in transition to servicing higher data loads.
The biggest advantage of Cat8 is that it’s a copper-based cable. This eliminates the need for fiber transceivers, and it makes Cat8 significantly more cost-effective than fiber optics when it can be used. The thicker, more heavily shielded Cat8 cables cost more than other copper solutions, but it’s a clear means to saving money on 40G networks.
The other advantage of Cat8 is the RJ45 connection. This enables it to work perfectly with a wide range of networking devices. The flexibility is a powerful tool for upgrading systems under a budget. The legacy and newest systems can all be serviced by the same cable, and that reduces timeline and spending stresses that can occur with less-flexible technology.
Fiber Optics
Fiber optics have formed the backbone of elite data transmissions for decades. The technology has the highest capacity for sending large amounts of data across long distances at high speeds. It’s unparalleled when performance is all that matters. That said, 40G networks don’t require the most elite equipment on the market, and they amply service the majority of enterprise applications. Because of that, we’re going to focus on fiber optics that are optimized for 40G networking. That primarily consists of OM3 and OM4 cables.
Why Use Fiber Optics for 40G?
First, we have to acknowledge the drawbacks. Aside from cost, OM3 and OM4 cables are designed to work at distances of 100 & 150 meters. Those distances can certainly be expanded with additional equipment, but that feeds back into the cost problem.
That said, fiber optics are still prominent in countless 40G systems. There are two strong reasons for this. To start, fiber optics were servicing 40G before Cat8 existed. Because of this, fiber designs are more prominent, and it’s easier to learn from the experience of network designers who have been working with this technology for a long time. The experience gap matters, and it can sometimes overcome the additional hardware costs.
The bigger reason fiber is still great in 40G is future proofing. Cat8 has data limits ceilings that are much lower than fiber alternatives. You might be upgrading to 40G today, but in a few years, you may need to go faster. The fiber optics you install today can be selected to handle 100G or 400G down the road. It is a more expensive short-term investment, but you can recover that money through proper long-term planning.
Ultimately, there is no clear victor. The pros and cons of each cable solution are clear. Making the right choice will require you to decide how you prioritize your spending both today and down the road.
Today’s New to Start Your Day:
- In Germany, heavy rains pounded the country’s western states and caused rivers to burst their banks, turning streets into torrential rivers. Several have lots their lives and many are still missing.
- Lyft said it’s bringing back its shared rides booking option in select U.S. markets for the first time since the pandemic. Starting Monday, consumers in Philadelphia, Chicago and Denver can book the option that allows multiple passengers to split a car that’s going in the same direction.
- Netflix has hired Facebook’s gaming executive Mike Verdu as part of a deeper push into entertainment.
- Jeff Bezos’ rocket company Blue Origin announced its first paying customer, who at 18 years old will be the youngest person to travel to space.
- Singapore is introducing differentiated Covid measures for dining in as new cases continue to rise. Only fully vaccinated individuals and people who have recovered from Covid-19 will be able to dine in in groups of five without taking Covid tests. Unvaccinated people have to take antigen rapid tests to join in groups of five for meals. Dining in will otherwise be limited to groups of two.