CablesAndKits

Happy Wednesday & Happy National Fried Clam, Chocolate Wafer, and Eat Your Beans day! Dare we say, the perfect meal combo?!

In This Issue: Where has the time gone?! | Cisco Aironet 3700 Series Access Point | What is Link Aggregation & Link Aggregation Control Protocol? | News to Start Your Day

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The CK Daily – Where has the time gone?!

Happy Wednesday!

I hope you’re having a great week. I can’t believe it’s already July – talk about time flying by! This week is going to be a busy month. I’m moving, I have one month to prepare for my little one’s first birthday (and also to emotionally prepare myself) and somewhere in the midst of there we’re heading back up to Ohio for a wedding and to see some old friends. It’s going to be a whirlwind! Do you have any big plan for the month?

I hope you have a wonderful 4th of July and a great rest of your week! We’ll pick back up with the CK Daily on Monday, July 8th. Our office is closed tomorrow but we’ll be in on Friday getting your orders out the door so that you can complete your projects on time. If you need anything in the meantime, reach out!

We’re grateful for you!

Ashley

P.S.: Just incase you’re not on our marketing email list! Use the code FREEDOM20 for $20 off your order of $100 or more starting today through July 7th!

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Product Spotlights & Updates

This ready-to-install, easy-to-manage access point offers high capacity, high security, enterprise-class features to deliver wireless LAN access with a low total cost of ownership. Designed for coverage in offices and similar RF environments, this unobtrusive access point features integrated antennas and dual IEEE 802.11a/g/n/ac radios for comprehensive and predictable coverage, providing a combined capacity of 450 Mbps.

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Learning Center Article – What is Link Aggregation & Link Aggregation Control Protocol?

Network demands are always changing. You might have a perfect setup today, but tomorrow, something in your network is going to need more resources.

When that happens, you have to weigh the costs of upgrades, and when only one device really needs the boost, it’s hard to justify the cost of a major equipment overhaul.

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Today’s News to Start Your Day:

• United Airlines says it now texts travelers live weather maps to better explain flight delays.
• The Florida Panthers — the NHL Stanley Cup champions — are the latest team to leave behind their cable TV regional sports network for a broadcast network home, striking a deal with E.W. Scripps.
• The Food and Drug Administration approved Eli Lilly’s Alzheimer’s drug donanemab.
• A new report on Tuesday said that Chinese EV giant BYD was set to beat Tesla in battery EV sales in 2024.

Happy Tuesday! We hope you’re week is off to a great start. The 4th of July is right around the corner. What are your plans?

In This Issue: A Trip to Cedar Key, FL | Kendall Howard 1U Vented 4-Point Adjustable Shelf | 6 Questions to Ask Before You Purchase a Networking Switch | News to Start Your Day

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The CK Daily – A Trip to Cedar Key, FL

Good Morning & Happy Tuesday!

Hope everyone is having a great week so far! This is a short week for many of us with the 4th of July falling on Thursday. I’m actually heading out of town tomorrow and going to Cedar Key, FL!

I had never heard of Cedar Key until recently but it’s on the gulf coast and is a small island community known for fishing and clamming! It looks like it has a ton of natural beauty and I’ve heard that it’s a wonderful place to catch sunsets which is definitely one of my favorite things to do! There are quite a few natural springs within driving distance to Cedar Key so we’re hoping to visit a few of them while we’re there as well as get out for some tubing and kayaking! It should be a good time!

Rebecca

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Product Spotlights & Updates

Need a mounting solution for a server, switch, or networking device and don’t have the mounting rails? Well this is the perfect solution for you. This vented four point shelf will expand to fit in almost any 19” rack. It is capable of adjusting from 22” all the way to 40” deep and can hold 250 lbs evenly distributed.

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Learning Center Article – 6 Questions to Ask Before You Purchase a Networking Switch

You have a network plan. You know how you’re going to set everything up to make everything work. It’s time to do some purchasing.

Before you fill out your credit card information, take a minute to make sure you’re getting exactly what you need. By asking just six questions, you can avoid purchasing mistakes that limit networking capabilities or send you way over budget.

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Today’s News to Start Your Day:

• Boston Basketball Partners LLC, the ownership group behind the Boston Celtics, has put the team up for sale. The controlling family of the ownership group announced the sale of the majority stake, and expects it to be completed later this year or in early 2025.
• Paramount Global leaders are having discussions with a number of companies to explore merging Paramount+.
• Butch Wilmore and Suni Williams were scheduled to return from their trip to the International Space Station (ISS) on June 14. More than two weeks later, they are still in space… and with no return date!
• Starbucks cafes across the country are starting to change how they make drink orders, among other tweaks designed to reduce bottlenecks and long wait times that have dogged the chain. The overhaul comes as the coffee giant prepares for an anticipated swell of orders through its mobile app.

Happy Monday! We hope you had a wonderful weekend and are ready for a great week ahead. We know this week is typically a week full of vacation and time away. Stay safe!

In This Issue: Summer Olympics & 4th of July! | Cisco Stackwise-480 Stacking Cable | Top 5 Causes of Fiber Optic Failure | News to Start Your Day

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The CK Daily – Summer Olympics & 4th of July!

Happy Monday!

Who’s ready for the Summer Olympics? In 25 days the Summer Olympic Games will be kicking off in Paris, France. Over the weekend we watched some of the US team qualifying events including track and field and gymnastics, and these events are always exciting to watch. Along with those sports, I’m looking forward to watching BMX Freestyle, Skateboarding, Weight Lifting, Taekwondo, and Karate. The trampoline is also a fun watch as well! A lot of these sports weren’t even official Olympic sports when I was a kid, so it’s fun watching the beginnings and history in the makings. What are your favorite Olympic sports?

Fourth of July is around the corner, don’t forget we’ll be closed to celebrate our Independence! One of my Independence Day traditions, dating back to the mid-90s, is watching the 1996 Sci-Fi film, Independence Day. My favorite part of the film is the President’s speech before the Earth counterattacks against the aliens. It’s so inspiring. You can watch it here.

I hope you have a great day, a happy Independence Day, and a wonderful week!

Cris

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Product Spotlights & Updates

Our Cisco data cables are specifically intended to work with Gigabit Ethernet, while also making it easy to allow switch additions, deletions, and redeployment without interruption. The technology advancement on the StackWise-480 is quite impressive.

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Learning Center Article – Top 5 Causes of Fiber Optic Failure

Fiber optic networks are the best in the business — when they work.When they don’t work, they are expensive sources of frustration.

As always, the best defense is a good offense, and you can prevent the most common sources of fiber optic failure when you simply know what they are and what causes them. So, here’s a short list of the top five causes of fiber optic failure to get you going.

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Today’s News to Start Your Day:

• Yet another iconic chain restaurant item is now available to bake at home, and we couldn’t be more excited. According to an Instagram post from @snackolator, Texas Roadhouse’s iconic mini rolls are coming to grocery stores.
• Boeing has reported that it will buy back its struggling fuselage maker Spirit AeroSystems in an all-stock deal that the plane maker has said will improve safety and quality control.
• Amazon is ramping up its development of artificial intelligence technology, hiring top talent from AI agent startup Adept and licensing the company’s technology.
• A new flavor of Cheez-It is set to hit store shelves this summer, and fans are already planning to sell it out. The limited-edition variety is a part of the cracker brand’s collaboration with the makers of Hidden Valley Ranch, which previously saw the release of a Cheez-It-inspired ranch dressing.

Happy Friday! The weekend is finally here – woo! What plans do you have for the weekend?

In This Issue: How do you prefer to learn? | DVI-D Dual Link Cable | What is a DRAC? | News to Start Your Day

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The CK Daily – How do you prefer to learn?

Happy Friday, folks! I’m a life-long learner. I enjoy learning new things and putting that knowledge into action. Another fun fact is I exclusively read non-fiction. I’ve never been able to get into fiction, a story for another day. 😀

I consume content in two primary ways: books (physical or audio) and a web course. I also include YouTube help videos as a source of learning, although you won’t get a certification for those!

There are many learning avenues, including reading a physical book, reading a book on a Kindle (or Kindle app), listening to Audible, watching videos, and attending virtual or in-person workshops. Which way do you prefer to learn? Have a great weekend!

Chris

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Product Spotlights & Updates

A dual link DVI cable doubles the transition minimized differential signaling (TMDS). If your system requires more than 165 MHz pixel clock and 24 bits per pixel then you need a dual link cable. The DVI-D is used with digital signal only and cannot be used with an analog signal. The Pin out on the this cable is described as 24+1.

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Learning Center Article – What is a DRAC?

Servers can change the game for businesses of all sizes. They allow you to consolidate resources, increase your overall IT power, and implement a wide range of tools that aren’t available otherwise.

While it’s great to have these, servers come with some baggage too. They have to be managed, and not all server management is the same.

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Today’s News to Start Your Day:

• If you missed it, here is a full recap of the 2024 presidential debate.
• OpenAI and Time announced a “multi-year content deal” that will allow OpenAI to access current and archived articles from more than 100 years of Time’s history. As part of the deal, the Microsoft-backed startup will be able to display Time’s content in its ChatGPT chatbot and use Time’s content “to enhance its products,” or, likely, to train its artificial intelligence models.
• The Golden Arches is offering a promotion every Friday until the end of 2024. Free Fries Friday is available exclusively through the McDonald’s app. Order at least $1 of food or drink off the menu and you’ll score a free medium French fry with your order.
• Tesla is losing its lead over legacy automakers in the quality of its new all-electric vehicles, according to an annual influential study conducted by J.D. Power. The 2024 U.S. Initial Quality Study found the quality of Tesla’s battery-electric vehicles and those of traditional carmakers were the same, at 266 problems reported per 100 newly sold or leased vehicles.

Happy Last Thursday of June & Happy National Bomp Pop Day! As a favorite summer treat, this rocket shape treat with vivid colors reminds us of fireworks preparing you for the excitement of the upcoming 4th of July holiday.

In This Issue: A Stay-At-Home Summer & a Quick Stop at Disney ✨ | Kendall Howard Small Form Factor CPU Wall Mount Shelf | TCP vs UDP | News to Start Your Day

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The CK Daily – A Stay-At-Home Summer & a Quick Stop at Disney ✨

Hello! I hope you all are having a great week!

The last time I wrote to you I noted that I planned on getting some projects done around the house, doing yardwork <<>> and a tubing trip up in Helen, GA during the summer months.

We haven’t made our tubing trip up to Helen yet, but it is in the calendar for July. It has been a stay-at-home type of summer for our family so far, but we did manage to have some fun in the sun at Margaritaville’s Lake Lanier Islands Water Park last Friday. A friend of mine and I took our kids and a few of their friends to the waterpark for the day and they had the best time! There they have waterslides, an over-the-water obstacle course, a wave pool attraction, restaurants, Jimmy Buffet playing on a mega screen all day, and so much more. If you are ever visiting the North GA area, you should check it out!

In July, I’m looking forward to traveling to Orlando for a few days with my family. I’ve previously mentioned that both of my kids play soccer year-round and will be participating in a tournament down there. I’m excited about that experience, but for those who know me well, you know that means at least one park day at Disney! The struggle is narrowing down which park to visit; my absolute favorite ride at all four parks is Guardians of the Galaxy at Epcot but my favorite park is Magic Kingdom. For my fellow Disney fans, how do you rate the parks in order and why?

Have a magical day!

Mandy

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Product Spotlights & Updates

Kendall Howard’s Small-Form-Factor Wall Mount CPU Brackets are designed to get the computer off the floor and the desktop. The brackets make it easy to secure and mount any small-form-factor PC to the wall or side of the desk. The velcro strap secures the PC to the bracket.

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Learning Center Article – TCP vs UDP

Networking, ultimately, is about the communication between computerized devices. Thinking in such simple terms can help you nail design and philosophy elements when you run your own network, and that can translate to faster speeds and better reliability and security.

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Today’s News to Start Your Day:

• NASA will have a spacecraft from Elon Musk’s SpaceX guide the International Space Station’s destruction after its retirement in 2030. The agency awarded an $843 million contract to SpaceX to build the so-called “U.S. Deorbit Vehicle.” The SpaceX-built vehicle will effectively destroy the ISS by pushing the station into reentry from orbit.
• The EU’s $2.1 million ASCEND study concluded that launching data centers into orbit is technically, economically and environmentally feasible. Read more here.
• Amazon hosted a closed-door event for sellers in China, where it presented plans for a new budget storefront that features low-cost apparel, home goods and other items. The storefront would directly compete with Temu and Shein, two emerging e-commerce sites with ties to China that have grown in popularity in the U.S.
• Private label wars have heated up as consumers look for value and unique items. Walmart-owned Sam’s Club is trying to raise the quality of its private brand, Member’s Mark.

Happy Wednesday! We’re halfway through the week. How’s your to-do list looking? Cheers to getting more of those tasks checked off this week!

In This Issue: Preparing for Time-Off ⏰ | RCA Cable 2-Male to 2-Male | Servers Vs. Desktop PCs | News to Start Your Day

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The CK Daily – Preparing for Time-Off ⏰

Happy Wednesday!

This week I’m finally feeling like I can take a deep breath (sort of) ever since coming back from vacation. I had a wonderful time on vacation, but coming back from that, I was drowning in all the things. The to-do list really seemed like it was never-ending and it wasn’t just all work tasks!

I’m usually pretty good about keeping all my ducks in a row, but I certainly failed myself heading into vacation. That said, how do you prepare for time off or being out of the office? While most days on vacation, I didn’t let my to-do list sit in the back of my mind but some days it’s all I could think about. So, I’d appreciate any tips you have on how you set yourself up for being out – or maybe there really is no secret sauce.

Hope you have a great week!

Ashley

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Product Spotlights & Updates

These RCA cables are excellent for professional, industrial, and residential applications where sound quality and durability are important for TV, VCR, DVD, projector, and home theater applications.

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Learning Center Article – Servers Vs. Desktop PCs

If you ever shop for computer parts, you might see things for desktop PCs and servers lumped together.

This isn’t always the case, but it’s easy enough to see these different parts come up in a single search.

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Today’s News to Start Your Day:

• Morgan Stanley is pushing further into its adoption of artificial intelligence with a new assistant that is expected to take over thousands of hours of labor for the bank’s financial advisors.
• Tesla issued two new recalls for the Cybertruck, one to fix windshield wipers with faulty motor controllers and the other to fix loose trim that can rattle or fall off.
• Volkswagen plans to invest up to $5 billion in electric vehicle startup Rivian, starting with an initial investment of $1 billion. The additional $4 billion is expected to be invested following the establishment of a joint venture.
• As of today, the Boeing Starliner Crew Flight Test spacecraft has no planned return date. While program managers already pushed the original return flight back, they scrapped the latest Wednesday, June 26, target. According to NASA’s most recent blog post on the flight test, the stranded astronauts can continue to stay comfortably at the International Space Station (ISS), which is orbiting 263 miles above Earth.