CablesAndKits Blog

Happy Thursday & Happy National Get to Know Your Customers Day! So that means today is all about you! With that in mind – reply back to this email and tell us all about you!

In This Issue: DIY Projects | Yealink EHS40 Headset Adapter | Best Practices for Data Center Security | News to Start Your Day

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The CK Daily – DIY Projects

Happy Thursday!

This past weekend I helped a buddy of mine build out a new section of their living room to house their new electric fireplace, along with a new mantel, cabinets, and shelves. Very long days and late nights, but it was a great weekend hanging out and building out the new addition with a ton of laughs, many aggravations, and lots of trips to Home Depot. Always measure twice and cut once! Haha! It did turn out amazing. I was a little concerned with some of the hoops we had to jump through, but it came together nicely after using our creative thinking skills.

This has inspired me to start doing some DIY projects around my house that I have been putting off. Plus, my buddy owes me now so I better take advantage of the extra help before too much time goes by. The first project will be ripping out everything in my pantry and rebuilding it. It currently still has all the generic shelving that came with the house when it was built. Next up will be redoing the laundry room. Not sure I am ready to build out a new fireplace buildout and cabinets in the living room yet. I might save that for the Summer.

I have def been bit by the DIY project bug. I also know that when I start it will be never-ending but it will be worth it.

How about you? Got any major DIY projects around your house that you have been toying with doing or have planned out? Let me know, I might need to add some of those ideas to my list. Or, send me pics of any DIY projects you just completed.

Have a great rest of the week and weekend!

Jason

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Product Spotlights & Updates

Compatible with Yealink T58A / T57W / T54W / T53W / T53 / T48S / T46S / T42S / T41S IP Phones, the new advanced Yealink EHS40 Headset Adapter guarantees optimum efficiency in reception areas, call centers and offices. It is approved for using with wireless models made by major manufacturers, including Jabra, Plantronics and Sennheiser. With its ‘plug-and-play’ feature, it enables you a seamless and flexibility to answer and hang up calls remotely.

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Learning Center Article – Best Practices for Data Center Security

If you looked at data center security best practices only a few years ago, the leading trends and advice would be dramatically different from the leading areas of focus today. Everyone in IT knows that things change fast, but it feels like change has accelerated.

Here’s an example. Network security was the most important thing as recently as 2019. While it’s still paramount, security threats have shifted away from direct attacks. Social engineering and grid stability are actually more important today.

With all of that in mind, there are four up-to-date best practices that can help you think about how things have changed and what you can do to keep up.

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Today’s News to Start Your Day:

• Retailer Party City has filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection. Party City has secured a $150 million bankruptcy loan and will seek approval to use half of those funds to immediately pay wages and vendors, among other expenses.
• Marvel Cinematic Universe movies will return to China in February for the first time in nearly four years.
• Sentiment rose 4 points to 35 on the National Association of Home Builders/Wells Fargo Housing Market Index. Anything below 50 is still considered negative sentiment. The metric stood at 83 in January 2022.
• Amazon is ending its charity donation program called AmazonSmile.

Happy Wednesday & Happy National Thesaurus Day! Whether you’re looking for a more accurate word or trying to improve your writing, the thesaurus is your best friend.

In This Issue: Classic Board Games | 1080p Full-HD Webcam | Importance of a Disaster Recovery Plan for Your Network | News to Start Your Day

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The CK Daily – Classic Board Games

Happy Wednesday! I hope you’re having a great week!

This weekend my husband and I spent some time at home with my family. We found ourselves playing hours of board games and had so much fun doing so. Between a classic game of Monopoly and the strategy-filled game of Catan, we have spent some time debating over which one we enjoyed most.

Monopoly is such a classic and it had been so long since we had played! I didn’t have the best luck in the game and kept ending up in jail but my mom and husband fought for the victory each time. Catan was a mix of who won depending on how the board was set up and the order we were able to build. Overall, it was such a great time relaxing and enjoying time together playing games!

What’s your favorite board game to play with your friends/family?

Ashley

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Product Spotlights & Updates

Our 1080p HD webcam gives a realistic, crisp image and crystal-clear video. A specially designed camera that is optimized for professional-quality video streaming, this HD webcam is compatible with YouTube, Skype, Facetime, Zoom, and more! Perfect for online teaching, video calling, recording, and conferencing. On top of these features is a built-in noise reduction microphone that captures natural stereo audio and filters annoying background noises to give you clear conversations.

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Learning Center Article – Importance of a Disaster Recovery Plan for Your Network

You run a modern business. You use computers, and you’re connected to the internet. That’s just how things work these days, and when things are in fact working, it’s pretty nice.

Networking resources allow for instantaneous communication, easy data management, and a whole bunch of efficiencies that improve your bottom line. Unfortunately, all of those advantages come with a hidden downside. What happens if your network goes down? How can your business deal with such a problem?

The answer to that is typically found in a network disaster recovery plan, and when you understand exactly what is involved, you’ll see that a good recovery plan can be truly priceless.

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Today’s News to Start Your Day:

• General Motors’ first-ever “electrified” Corvette will be available later this year, starting at more than $104,000. The 2024 Chevrolet Corvette E-Ray hybrid will be the quickest production version ever of the American sports car.
• Netflix is looking for a new flight attendant to join its “dream crew,” and it’s willing to pay over a quarter million dollars for the right candidate.
• Twitter is auctioning off espresso machines, kegerators, computers, and even oversized neon displays with the company’s logo as the social messaging service reportedly has fallen behind on office rent payments. Interested buyers can peruse an assortment of goods that Twitter wishes to sell via the website of Heritage Global Partners
• Apple announced new Macs that can be purchased with either M2 Pro or M2 Max chips, the most powerful Apple processors for its MacBook Pros yet.

Happy Tuesday! We hope you are having a great week. If we can be praying for you this week in any way, please let us know!

In This Issue: Life Lessons through Sports | Nylon Cable Ties | Choosing the Right Network Card | News to Start Your Day

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The CK Daily – Life Lessons through Sports

Good Morning & Happy Tuesday!

Hope everyone is off to a good start this week. On Saturday I was able to attend the UGA National Championship celebration in Athens which was a lot of fun. These truly are the good ol’ days for UGA fans and students! The environment was great and I really enjoyed getting to hear the different speakers, particularly Coach Kirby Smart. He talked about how special this team is and how they were incredibly disciplined and put in countless hours of hard work. It’s always inspiring to hear those stories and see the success that follows the powerful combination of expectations, discipline, and hard work.

I love how sports can be such a great teacher of these values and how, when put into place, these values result in great success. Love the life lessons that sports provide!

Rebecca

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Product Spotlights & Updates

Cable ties are an extremely versatile way to organize and bundle wires and cables. They are easy to install and can be cut off for rework very easily. Locks tightly – won’t stretch or slide.

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Learning Center Article – Choosing the Right Network Card

When you think about networking, there’s a lot of focus on switches, panels, racks, cables, and the backbone infrastructure that makes it all work.

It’s easy to forget about devices that enable individual networking components to function. One such case is a network interface card (NIC). They allow your computerized devices to connect to the network, so they’re absolutely essential. Many devices have NICs built into them, which is why they are easy to overlook. But, there are times when you need to purchase NICs. When that happens, this guide will help you choose the right option.

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Today’s News to Start Your Day:

• China’s population declined in 2022 for the first time in decades. Mainland China’s population, excluding foreigners, fell by 850,000 people in 2022 to 1.41 billion.
• Matt Rogers helped to usher in the era of the smart home device as co-founder of Nest Labs, the smart home thermostat that was ultimately acquired by Google. After the Google deal, Rogers began work on several philanthropic projects, many focusing on climate-related initiatives. The tech engineer is back with a new venture and design for the home to help with a very big problem: food waste.
• Multiple releases allegedly sent from Adidas are fake. The hoax campaign announced a new fashion line and that a Cambodian worker-turned-whistleblower was named co-CEO.
• Goldman Sachs posted its largest earnings miss in a decade as revenue fell and expenses and loan-loss provisions came in higher than expected.

Happy Monday! We hope everyone had a safe and relaxing weekend. Happy MLK Day! How are you observing today?

In This Issue: Friendship & Love | Cisco 2960-X Series 48 Port 740W PoE+ Switch | Managed vs Unmanaged Switches: Which do you need? | News to Start Your Day

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The CK Daily – Friendship & Love

Happy Monday and Happy Martin Luther King Jr. Day!

The cold weather forced us indoors this weekend, so we decided to go to the mall nearby which has a large indoor playground area. I noticed something for the first time while observing my kids play with other kids. Children aren’t constrained by social rules or anxiety (for the most part) when it comes to playing together and creating a friendship. My 2-year-old who’s turning 3 soon, instantly made a friend with another girl her age, just by proximity.

I was watching closely and saw it happen nearly instantly.

Two total strangers became friends after playing next to each other on a slide for less than a minute. My older daughter seems to do the same thing by asking a few simple questions “what’s your name? Do you want to play together?”. There’s no fear of rejection or hesitation, no prejudice or pride, it happens smoothly and naturally. One second two strangers are playing next to each other, the next second they seem like they’ve been friends for their entire lives.

The whole experience reminded me of the passage in the Bible where Jesus says “…Truly, I say to you, unless you turn and become like children you will never enter the kingdom of heaven” – Matthew 18:3 ESV.

I’ll be reflecting on that little moment in the mall for some time and also be reflecting on the legacy of Martin Luther King Jr. One of my favorite MLK Jr. quotes is “Darkness cannot drive out darkness; only light can do that. Hate cannot drive out hate, only love can do that”. The world definitely needs more love.

Cris

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Product Spotlights & Updates

Cisco has always done an amazing job catering to small and medium businesses. The Cisco 2960-X series is another generation of the already popular 2960 series that will enable the typical small to medium business to function at an enterprise level without the enterprise budget. The 2960-X series switches offer a fixed configuration of Ethernet switches that are not only Gigabit but also stackable. The 2960-X was specifically designed for easy deployment and operational efficiency. These switches are also energy cautious and have a large range of IOS software features.

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Learning Center Article – Managed vs Unmanaged Switches: Which do you need?

Switches are one of the core pieces of almost any major network. They manage traffic routing for Ethernet-connected devices. As such, they provide stable, fast means of communication for any device across the network.

If you run a business network, you’ll need some kind of switch, and when you look into it, you’ll find that there are two competing types of switches: managed and unmanaged. Here’s a quick breakdown of each type of switch to help you in that regard.

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Today’s News to Start Your Day:

• Hasbro postponed its update of its Dungeons & Dragons licensing terms after thousands of players pushed back on proposed changes, rallying around an #OpenDND petition.
• Shoppers can now purchase deeply discounted secondhand luxury clothing from Rent the Runway through Amazon.
• NASA’s James Webb Space Telescope has made its first confirmation of an exoplanet. An exoplanet is a planet that orbits a star outside our solar system. The American space agency says the exoplanet is almost exactly the same size as Earth.
• Italy’s most-wanted mafia boss Matteo Messina Denaro has been arrested in Sicily after 30 years on the run.

Happy Friday! We’ve officially made it to the end of the week. We’re wishing you a weekend full of adventure – stay safe!

In This Issue: CK Stickers! | Cisco DB9 Female to RJ45 Female Console Adapter | Aruba Switches vs Cisco Switches | News to Start Your Day

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The CK Daily – CK Stickers!

Happy Friday & Happy National Sticker Day! If you’ve been around for a while, it’s likely you’ve gotten a few different stickers from us in your orders over the years. Where do you put them? Which one has been your favorite? Any new designs you want to see?

We’d love to see the ones you have! Send us a photo of where you put your stickers!

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Product Spotlights & Updates

Working in IT, you know how important it is to have flexible solutions to everyday problems. That includes using modular adapters as a cost-effective solution for completing complex connections. This Cisco adapter is a straight-through DB9 Female to RJ45 Female, perfect for connecting desktop terminals back to a central patch panel. This includes equipment like printers, POS terminals, modems and other kinds of serial equipment. You never know when hooking up one of these devices might require an adaptor.

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Learning Center Article – Aruba Switches vs Cisco Switches

When it comes to network switches, the variety of options can be overwhelming. There’s a specific switch for every niche networking role, and there are a dozen different brands making that one class of switch.

Out of all of those options, two leading brands are preferred in many professional networks: Aruba and Cisco. They are industry giants and leaders in many respects. When comparing them directly, it’s clear that you are getting different sets of benefits depending on which you choose.

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Today’s News to Start Your Day:

• Russia has taken control of the Ukrainian salt-mine town Soledar after a months-long battle. The victory would allow Russian troops to cut off Ukrainian supply routes in the nearby larger city of Bakhmut.
• The man accused of murdering four University of Idaho students moved on Thursday to delay a preliminary hearing in the case, postponing until June a decision on whether there is sufficient evidence to hold him for trial on the charges.
• At least seven people were killed Thursday as severe storms swept across the South, where ferocious winds sent residents running for cover, blew roofs off homes, and knocked out power to thousands. Recovery efforts will continue Friday after the storms damaged power lines, severed tree limbs and sent debris flying into streets in Alabama, Georgia, and Kentucky, where at least 35 preliminary tornado reports were recorded.
• The Biden Administration released details this week on its plan to overhaul the current income-driven repayment plan known as Revised Pay As You Earn plan (REPAYE) for federal student loan borrowers.

Happy Thursday & Happy Curried Chicken Day! It’s the perfect day to fill your dish with a variety of flavorful spices and enjoy! Do you have a curried chicken recipe that you love? Share it with us!

In This Issue: What does your “new” look like? | Keystone Surface Mount Box | What Are the Differences Between a Switch and a Bridge? | News to Start Your Day

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The CK Daily – What does your “new” look like?

Happy New Year! We are back!

Hope you enjoyed reading about all of the different non-profits that are important to us and that we support around the CK office over the last few weeks.

Well, it is a brand new year and this always gets me thinking about the word “New.” (duh…haha!) Never fails, every year, that word becomes more real to me at this time of year, and I imagine a lot of us – New year, new opportunities, new adventures, new starts, new plans, etc. No matter what last year was like, no matter what went on, this is a brand new year to start fresh. Whether you make new year’s resolutions or just want a line in the sand to look forward instead of behind, now’s the time. I love it! It is always invigorating and refreshing. I am already looking forward to things I want to do around the house this year, vacations I want to take, places I want to go, and things I want to do personally.

Over and over the past few weeks, I have felt in my mind and heart this phrase for 2023, “Take a chance and go for it!” Not sure what all that means yet but it is exciting. I mean, hey, it’s a new year with new possibilities!

What exciting, “new” plans do you have for 2023?

Have an awesome rest of the week and weekend!

Jason

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Product Spotlights & Updates

Give your network a makeover. These attractive boxes will perfectly blend into your home or office decor and can hold a multitude of jacks. Unloaded 1-Position Keystone Surface Mount Box, the easiest way to install a network outlet, is perfect for office cubicles or installations where the cable is run along a baseboard. Protects and hides your network connections, mounts with 2-sided tape or screws unloaded single-position keystone mount box.

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Learning Center Article – What Are the Differences Between a Switch and a Bridge?

Putting together a single, small network is relatively easy. Things really get complicated when you need to join multiple networks together. That’s where concepts like bridging come into play, and understanding the specific technology options available for this aspect of network design is essential to success.

To that end, you’ll find a simplified breakdown of bridges and switches below. It will help you see how devices can be leveraged to join networks and the trade-offs attached to those devices.

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Today’s News to Start Your Day:

• More than 10,000 flights were delayed on Wednesday after the FAA’s ground stop. The agency traced the problem to a damaged data file. The FAA and lawmakers from both sides of the aisle said they plan to investigate.
• Walmart wants to sell more of its own technology and services to other retailers. To do so, they have struck a deal with Salesforce to attempt to get in front of more potential customers.
• Climeworks says it has successfully taken carbon dioxide out of the air and put it in the ground where it will turn into rock.
• Bitcoin has climbed $18,000 for the first time since Dec. 14, increasing in value by about 5% in the last 24 hours.