CablesAndKits Blog

Happy Wednesday & Happy National Hot Dog Day! Hot dogs are a summer staple but the real question is – is it a sandwich or not? 🌭

In This Issue: Winning the Lottery | Rack Mount Kit For Cisco ASA-5508-X Security Appliance | Cisco Manufacture Date Lookup | News to Start Your Day

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The CK Daily – Winning the Lottery

Happy Wednesday!

I hope everyone is having a great week! We’ve had a busy past few weeks on the CK side with our building move, but are settling in well. Our team did an incredible job coordinating how everything was going to work so that we could make sure there were no significant impacts across the board.

I’ve got a random thought today that sent my husband and I into quite a conversation. We were talking about how the Powerball Jackpot is officially up to $1 billion. My husband asked me, “What would you do with all that money? Or what would you do if you even won the lottery?” This sent us into quite the conversation about giving back, paying off debt, traveling, feeling confident enough to start a business venture and so much more. As I’m reflecting on this conversation further, it really has me thinking about what would I do with that money – that’s a lot of money to have just by the luck of the draw of playing the Powerball. What would you do with the money if you won the lottery?

Hope you have a great rest of the week ahead!

Ashley

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Product Spotlights & Updates

The Cisco ASA5508-BRACKET is a meticulously engineered rack mount kit that offers seamless compatibility with Cisco ASA 5508-X and ASA 5516-X models. Crafted with precision, this kit comprises two brackets and eight screws, providing the essential components for a secure and effortless installation within a standard equipment rack.

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Learning Center Article – Cisco Manufacture Date Lookup

When building a network, you will shop around and compare plenty of models for each piece of hardware that you need. Sometimes, it’s hard to keep track of everything and know what items are new and which have been around for a while.

If you’re investing in Cisco products, then there’s actually a mechanism in place that can help you know exactly when a device was manufactured. Below, you’ll see a complete guide to help you understand and utilize that mechanism.

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Today’s News to Start Your Day:

• United Airlines will add flights to Tokyo, Manila and Taipei. United and its rivals have been beefing up international travel in response to a surge in bookings.
• Preply, a language learning platform connecting people with tutors, raised $70 million of fresh capital to ramp up its use of artificial intelligence to enhance language learning.
• Microsoft announced a new artificial intelligence subscription service for Microsoft 365: The company will charge users an additional $30 per month for the use of generative AI with tools like Teams, Excel, and Word.
• TikTok is launching its subscription-based music streaming service in Australia, Mexico, and Singapore to a small group of users.

Happy Tuesday & Happy National Sour Candy Day! It’s the perfect day to grab a handful of sour treats and enjoy. 😝 What’s your favorite sour candy?

In This Issue: The Last Blast of Summer | Cisco 40GBase-SR Bi-Directional QSFP Module | SU-MIMO vs MU-MIMO | News to Start Your Day

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The CK Daily – The Last Blast of Summer

Good Morning & Happy Tuesday!

Hope everyone is off to a great start this week! I’m actually taking a little time off this week for a quick “last blast of Summer” trip in Blue Ridge, GA. I’ve mentioned before that my grandmother has a home up here that she’s generous to let the family use. I’ve been coming here since I was just a kid and it never gets old!

We were here in June and it pretty much rained the entire week which had us cooped up inside, but the forecast for this week looks much better! A friend is going to come up on Wednesday for a quick little hike which I’m super excited about!

Hoping for a fun week!!

Rebecca

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Product Spotlights & Updates

The Quad Small Form-Factor Pluggable (QSFP) bi-directional transceiver module is one of Cisco’s most innovative products to date. The technology leveraged in these modules allows for 40Gbps of bidirectional connectivity over OM3 or OM4 multimode fiber. This module is an excellent solution for those looking to migrate to a 40G network while using your existing 10G duplex LC MMF cabling infrastructure.

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Learning Center Article – SU-MIMO vs MU-MIMO

Wireless networking is at the heart of so many things in the modern world, and if you need to maintain a reliable wireless network, then you need the right tools for the job.

These days, MIMO is the most common technique for wireless communication, and when you know what it’s doing and how to compare different types of MIMO, you can browse equipment and find what you need a lot faster.

With that in mind, here’s a quick crash course on MIMO.

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Today’s News to Start Your Day:

• The U.N. Command earlier said that a U.S. national on a tour to the joint security area between North and South Korea crossed the Military Demarcation Line without authorization and is now believed to be in detained in North Korea.
• Chipotle announced it has signed an agreement with Kuwait-based Alshaya Group, its first-ever franchise partner, to open locations in the Middle East next year.
• Nirsevimab is the first shot approved by the FDA to protect all infants against RSV regardless of whether they are healthy or have a medical condition.
• Eli Lilly said it filed an application for full U.S. Food and Drug Administration approval of the company’s Alzheimer’s treatment, donanemab. The pharmaceutical company expects the agency to make a decision by the end of the year. Eli Lilly also presented the final results from an 18-month phase three trial on the monthly antibody infusion, which showed the drug significantly slowed disease progression.

Happy Monday & Happy World Emoji Day! Did you know that the first release of an emoji keyboard was in 2007? Now, we have a wide variety of emojis to use in our messages. How are you feeling about this week in emojis?! We’d say: 🚚🤩📦😅🔑

In This Issue: We have officially moved! | HPE Aruba 530 Series Indoor Access Point | Bidirectional or BiDi Transceivers Explained | News to Start Your Day

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The CK Daily – We have officially moved!

Happy Monday!

It’s official, we have moved to our new location! I spent a little time this weekend helping out with the move, it was an amazing team effort, and it was great to see everyone in person, and great seeing the warehouse come together. The new place is huge, about 3 times bigger than the previous warehouse and we’ve settled into one of the sections that I’ve termed “the hanger”, because it looks like an old-school aircraft hanger with sort of a curved roof. There are still a lot of renovations to be done, but it’s definitely a great start.

I want to give a massive shoutout to our operations team, who have worked tirelessly to get us settled and ensured a smooth transition.

Hope you have a great week and don’t forget, we’ve moved! Our new home is 255 Homer Street, Commerce, GA 30529!

Cris

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Product Spotlights & Updates

The Aruba 530 Series of Indoor Access Points were designed to provide an optimized user experience offering a combined peak data rate of up to 2.97 Gbps. These AP’s maximize Wi-Fi efficiency to deliver both speed and reliability for users. The 530 series of campus access points is suitable for high-density mobile as well as IoT deployments.

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Learning Center Article – Bidirectional or BiDi Transcievers Explained

Fiber optics are great for achieving extremely fast networks. They’re also essential for very long networking connections that extend multiple kilometers in total distance. If the latter is important for your operation, then SFP is likely the fiber optic connection that you will need.

There is a technology that allows SFP hardware to send and receive data along the same fiber. It’s called BiDi, and it’s worth considering as a means to improve your fiber infrastructure.

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Today’s News to Start Your Day:

• Carlos Alcaraz defeated Novak Djokovic to win the Wimbledon men’s final. Marketa Vondrousova triumphed over Ons Jabeur in straight sets to win the Wimbledon women’s singles final, capping off an enthralling fortnight of tennis on their side of the draw.
• The U.S. Food and Drug Administration disagrees with the World Health Organization’s classification of the soda sweetener aspartame as possibly carcinogenic to humans. The FDA said the studies WHO experts relied on to make this conclusion had “significant shortcomings.”
• Ford has announced a significant price cut for all versions of its electric F-150 Lightning pickup. The cheapest version of the Lightning will now start at about $50,000, a roughly $10,000 cut.
• During a live audio session on Twitter, owner, and chairman Elon Musk said his new AI startup, xAI, will use Twitter data for training the “maximally curious” artificial intelligence systems and products he hopes to build there.

Happy Friday & Happy National Mac & Cheese Day! Mac & Cheese is one of the most simple dishes to make but can come in so many different styles. What’s your favorite way to enjoy mac & cheese?

In This Issue: We’ve got a new address! | Cisco Catalyst 2960X FlexStack-Plus Module | Cisco Nexus vs. Catalyst Switches | News to Start Your Day

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The CK Daily – We’ve got a new address!

We’re officially calling Commerce, GA home!

We’ve been working tirelessly behind the scenes to transition our warehouse from our Buford, GA location to Commerce, GA. To ensure a smooth transition, we kindly request that you update your records with our new address:

255 Homer St., Suite A
Commerce, GA 30529

We value your partnership and appreciate your support throughout this transition. We are confident that this move will enable us to continue providing you with exceptional products and services!

Please note: If you need us to update your vendor forms, please reach out to us at [email protected] and we’d be happy to assist you!

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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 flexible network management.

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Learning Center Article – Cisco Nexus vs. Catalyst Switches

If you need to run a high-end network, you need high-end equipment. Cisco has long been an industry leader in manufacturing this type of equipment, but even with that trusted brand name, there are a lot of choices to make.

When it comes to the most respected switch series you can find on the market, there are two worth comparing: Nexus and Catalyst. Let’s review and compare the two to see which might be ideal for you.

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Today’s News to Start Your Day:

• Hollywood actors are officially headed to the picket line. Unable to reach a deal with producers, members of The Screen Actors Guild – American Federation of Television and Radio Artists joined more than 11,000 already striking film and television writers.
• The World Health Organization classified the soda sweetener aspartame as a possible carcinogen, but said the designation is based on limited evidence and more research is needed. The WHO said aspartame is safe to consume within a daily limit of 40 milligrams per kilogram of a person’s body weight.
• The valuation of Elon Musk’s SpaceX hit near $150 billion following a share sale by existing investors. SpaceX has an agreement with new and existing investors to sell up to $750 million in stock from insiders at $81 a share.
• Netflix rolled out its next game, Sonic Prime Dash, to coincide with the release of the second season of the animated series Sonic Prime. This game is available for free and without ads or paywalls with a Netflix subscription.

Happy Thursday! We hope you are having a wonderful week. Have you been enjoying any exciting summer vacations this summer? We’d love to hear about them!

In This Issue: Game Night Recommendations | Cisco 3850 Series PoE+ 48 Port Switch | Why You Should Upgrade to Wi-Fi 6 Access Points | News to Start Your Day

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The CK Daily – Game Night Reccomendations

Happy Thursday, everyone!

I hope you’re all doing well. I wanted to share with you the amazing game night party we had last weekend to celebrate my fiancé’s birthday. We made sure to include all the party essentials: people, games, and, of course, cake! The theme of the party was game night, and we had a fantastic selection of games for everyone to enjoy.

We had a mix of classic games like Uno and some newer additions like flip-cup tic-tac-toe. It was incredible to see people of all ages coming together, interacting, and having a blast with the games. Laughter filled the room as we competed, strategized, and cheered each other on. Witnessing the bonding and camaraderie among everyone was truly heartwarming.

One tradition we have at our events is the kids putting on a performance for us. It’s different from when I was growing up, as they now have TikTok trends and social media to inspire them.

Nevertheless, it’s equally impressive to see how they coordinate their performances and showcase their talents. It’s a special moment that brings joy to everyone present.

Finally, we gathered around to sing happy birthday to my fiancé and indulged in some delicious cake. The night was so enjoyable that we lost track of time; before we knew it, it was already 3 am! We reluctantly announced that it was time for the rest of the crowd to head home and began cleaning up for the night. It was clear that everyone had a wonderful time, and we’re already looking forward to hosting another game night party in the future.

Now, I’d love to hear about your experiences with game nights. Have you ever hosted one? What were some of the games you played?

Joi

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Product Spotlights & Updates

The Cisco 3850 Series of switches is an industry-leading, enterprise-class series of access switches that offers superior performance, scalability, and reliability. The Catalyst 3850 Series is the first to feature a built-in wireless controller with up to 40 Gbps of capacity on 48-port models. Further, it supports up to 100 access points and 2, 000 wireless clients per switching entity (or stack). These switches are stackable up to 9 members and come equipped with Cisco’s popular StackPower technology.

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Learning Center Article – Why You Should Upgrade to Wi-Fi 6 Access Points

If you have a wireless network, you need access points that enable users to connect. For a long time, WiFi 5 was the industry standard that governed how wireless networks functioned, but today, WiFi 6 is here and available. Upgrading your network to WiFi 6 offers some major benefits, and it could change how your entire operation functions.

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Today’s News to Start Your Day:

• An expanding, intensifying heat wave prompted the National Weather Service to issue heat alerts for more than 112 million people on Thursday morning. The heat will topple longstanding records, especially in the Southwest, and the duration of this event will continue well into next week increasing public health dangers. This heat wave is already notable for its scope, intensity, and endurance.
• Fanatics will launch Fanatics Events, a business that will look to recreate the Comic-Con experience for sports collectibles.
• The new venture aims to start holding events next year.
• Elon Musk, CEO of Tesla and SpaceX, and owner of Twitter, on Wednesday announced the debut of a new AI company, xAI, with the goal to “understand the true nature of the universe.”
• Google said their chatbot, Bard, now includes 40 languages and will include audio responses. The improvements come as Google tries to stay ahead of rapidly improving competition from Microsoft-backed OpenAI, Anthropic.

Happy Thursday! We hope you are having a wonderful week. Have you been enjoying any exciting summer vacations this summer? We’d love to hear about them!

In This Issue: Game Night Recommendations | Cisco 3850 Series PoE+ 48 Port Switch | Why You Should Upgrade to Wi-Fi 6 Access Points | News to Start Your Day

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The CK Daily – Game Night Reccomendations

Happy Thursday, everyone!

I hope you’re all doing well. I wanted to share with you the amazing game night party we had last weekend to celebrate my fiancé’s birthday. We made sure to include all the party essentials: people, games, and, of course, cake! The theme of the party was game night, and we had a fantastic selection of games for everyone to enjoy.

We had a mix of classic games like Uno and some newer additions like flip-cup tic-tac-toe. It was incredible to see people of all ages coming together, interacting, and having a blast with the games. Laughter filled the room as we competed, strategized, and cheered each other on. Witnessing the bonding and camaraderie among everyone was truly heartwarming.

One tradition we have at our events is the kids putting on a performance for us. It’s different from when I was growing up, as they now have TikTok trends and social media to inspire them.

Nevertheless, it’s equally impressive to see how they coordinate their performances and showcase their talents. It’s a special moment that brings joy to everyone present.

Finally, we gathered around to sing happy birthday to my fiancé and indulged in some delicious cake. The night was so enjoyable that we lost track of time; before we knew it, it was already 3 am! We reluctantly announced that it was time for the rest of the crowd to head home and began cleaning up for the night. It was clear that everyone had a wonderful time, and we’re already looking forward to hosting another game night party in the future.

Now, I’d love to hear about your experiences with game nights. Have you ever hosted one? What were some of the games you played?

Joi

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Product Spotlights & Updates

The Cisco 3850 Series of switches is an industry-leading, enterprise-class series of access switches that offers superior performance, scalability, and reliability. The Catalyst 3850 Series is the first to feature a built-in wireless controller with up to 40 Gbps of capacity on 48-port models. Further, it supports up to 100 access points and 2, 000 wireless clients per switching entity (or stack). These switches are stackable up to 9 members and come equipped with Cisco’s popular StackPower technology.

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Learning Center Article – Why You Should Upgrade to Wi-Fi 6 Access Points

If you have a wireless network, you need access points that enable users to connect. For a long time, WiFi 5 was the industry standard that governed how wireless networks functioned, but today, WiFi 6 is here and available. Upgrading your network to WiFi 6 offers some major benefits, and it could change how your entire operation functions.

---

Today’s News to Start Your Day:

• An expanding, intensifying heat wave prompted the National Weather Service to issue heat alerts for more than 112 million people on Thursday morning. The heat will topple longstanding records, especially in the Southwest, and the duration of this event will continue well into next week increasing public health dangers. This heat wave is already notable for its scope, intensity, and endurance.
• Fanatics will launch Fanatics Events, a business that will look to recreate the Comic-Con experience for sports collectibles.
• The new venture aims to start holding events next year.
• Elon Musk, CEO of Tesla and SpaceX, and owner of Twitter, on Wednesday announced the debut of a new AI company, xAI, with the goal to “understand the true nature of the universe.”
• Google said their chatbot, Bard, now includes 40 languages and will include audio responses. The improvements come as Google tries to stay ahead of rapidly improving competition from Microsoft-backed OpenAI, Anthropic.