CablesAndKits Blog

Today is National Teachers Day! Everyone has had that favorite teacher, coach, and/or mentor that has helped inspire them. Today, we celebrate these special people in our lives.

In This Issue: Beach Time! | Cisco 1921 Series Router | Layer 2 vs Layer 3 Switches | News to Start Your Day

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The CK Daily – Beach Time!

Good Morning and Happy Tuesday! I’m back from my trip to Hilton Head and am feeling refreshed! We had a wonderful time at the beach! The weather was absolute perfection – sunny and between 75 and 80 degrees every day. In addition to that, since we’re in that window of time where Spring Breaks are over, but school hasn’t yet released for Summer, the crowds were non-existent. We never had to wait once at a restaurant! Since it was a last minute vacation, I didn’t want to totally disconnect from work so I found time in between all our outdoor fun to get a few things done. It’s funny how a change of scenery can make you so much more productive at work! It was nice to work from the back patio with sunshine and a gentle breeze! Normally I’m ready to get back to “real life” after a week or so of vacation, but this time I would have been happy to stay another week… or two 😉 Hope you are all having a great start to your week!

Rebecca

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Product Spotlights & Updates

Cisco ® 1900 Series Integrated Services Routers (ISRs) build on 25 years of Cisco innovation and product leadership. The new platforms are architected to enable the next phase of branch-office evolution, providing rich-media collaboration to the branch office while maximizing operational cost savings. The Cisco Integrated Services Routers Generation 2 (ISR G2) platforms are future-enabled with multicore CPUs, Gigabit Ethernet switching with enhanced Power over Ethernet (PoE), and new energy monitoring and control capabilities that enhance overall system performance. Additionally, a new Cisco IOS ® Software Universal image enables you to decouple the deployment of hardware and software, providing a stable technology foundation that can quickly adapt to evolving network requirements. Overall, the Cisco 1900 Series offers exceptional total cost of ownership (TCO) savings and network agility through the intelligent integration of market-leading security, unified communications, wireless, and application services.

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Learning Center Article – Layer 2 vs Layer 3 Switches: Which is best for your network?

When it comes to network switches, you have a lot of options. Finding the perfect switch for every occasion can be a monstrous task. Sometimes, the easiest way to find a good choice is to take a step back and learn more about the primary differences that exist between switches.

One major difference that you will see is the OSI connection layer. Most of the switches you will see will be labeled as either Layer 2 or Layer 3. When you take a deeper look at the key aspects of each layer, you can make an informed decision that ensures you have the right equipment for the job at hand.

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Today’s News to Start Your Day:

• The Supreme Court is poised to strike down Roe v. Wade, according to an unprecedented leak of a draft opinion written by Justice Samuel Alito. The draft leak obtained by Politico was written in early February. It was not immediately clear if it has been rewritten or revised. The Court has declined to verify or disavow the document.
• The capital city of Beijing closed theme parks and banned dining in restaurants to control Covid — just as a five-day holiday got underway. In Shanghai, the city announced Saturday it added 1,188 more companies to a whitelist for resuming production.
• Amazon workers voted against unionization. Employees at a Staten Island facility rejected a union push just one month after Amazon warehouse workers across the street voted to form the company’s first union. It’s a setback for the Amazon Labor Union, which was hoping to have built up some momentum for organizing after the initial win.
• Qantas is reviving its plans for the world’s longest commercial flight between Sydney and London. At more than 10,000 miles, the distance is roughly equivalent to driving from NYC to Chicago and back…six times. The flight will also take nearly 20 hours.

All you Harry Potter fans out there, today is your day! It is International Harry Potter Day! Whether you are in Gryffindor or Slytherin, be sure to enjoy your day!

In This Issue: Bounce Houses | Cisco SFP-10G-SR | How to Calculate Power Consumption for Your Server Room | News to Start Your Day

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The CK Daily – Bounce Houses

Happy Monday!

I can’t believe it’s already May, it seems like last month flew by. This weekend there wasn’t much activity to do. My kids went to a birthday party that had a bounce house… and all I can say is whoever invented the concept of the bounce house is a genius! The kids had a blast. According to Wikipedia the bounce house concept was created by an American engineer, John Scurlock. According to his family he was inspired by designing inflatable tent covers for tennis courts. That was back in 1958!

Other than that birthday party not much to report. I am getting over a sinus infection, and our van is getting in the process of getting repaired. I’m hoping to get it back in the next 3 to 4 weeks (apparently parts have been a bit delayed as with all car things). I hope you all have a great day and enjoy the first week of May!

Cris

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Product Spotlights & Updates

The Cisco SFP-10G-SR module gives you a wide variety of 10 Gigabit Ethernet connectivity options for your data center, enterprise wiring closet, and service provider transport applications. The SFP-10G module boasts a variety of features and benefits, including being the industry’s smallest form factor, which results in the greatest density per chassis. The SFP-10G-SR is hot-swappable and can be switched out with ease. Cisco 10GBase-SR SFP+ modules also feature Digital Optical Monitoring (DOM) functionality, which allows you to monitor the signal strength, the temperature of the SFP, and the transceiver voltage.

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Learning Center Article – How to Calculate Power Consumption for Your Server Room

When it comes to maintaining a server room, there are many balls to juggle. You have to constantly expand the capacity and throughput of the server systems. Demands only ever rise. At the same time, the space inside the room seems to perpetually shrink. Then, the ambient temperature rises, and you draw more and more power.

That last issue is the topic of discussion here. Power draw is one of the most limiting factors when it comes to operating servers and high-end networks. Eventually, you hit a ceiling and don’t have enough power for more expansion. So, as you continue to adapt and redesign your server room, you need to be able to keep track of power consumption. These tips will help you do that.

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Today’s News to Start Your Day:

• The Supreme Court ruled that the City of Boston violated the Constitution when it refused to fly an explicitly Christian flag outside city hall. The court unanimously ruled that since the city government had allowed other citizens to use the flagpole to express a variety of messages, its rejection of the religious flag violated the freedom of speech.
• Shares of Amazon and Google parent Alphabet just closed out their steepest monthly drops since the 2008 financial crisis. The internet giants both reported weaker-than-expected quarterly results this week, hurt by a combination of macroeconomic factors, the war in Ukraine and tough comparisons to blowout numbers during the pandemic. Amazon tumbled 23.8% in April, its biggest decline since falling 25.4% in November 2008, the same month that Google plummeted 18.5%. Alphabet had its worst month since that time, dropping 18% in April.
• Dozens of civilians have been evacuated from Mariupol to both Russia-controlled and Ukraine-controlled territory after weeks under siege. Some have left the Azovstal steelworks, the last hold-out of Ukrainian troops in the strategically significant city. The United Nations confirmed that a “safe passage operation” had begun to evacuate the citizens on Saturday, and that it was involved alongside the Red Cross.
• Spirit Airlines rejected a $3.6 billion takeover offer from JetBlue Airways after determining it is not a superior proposal to its previous agreement to merge with Frontier Airlines. Under JetBlue’s proposal, Spirit shareholders would receive $33 in cash per common share, a 47% premium to the value of Frontier’s transaction as of April 29 and a 52% premium to Spirit’s stock price as of Feb. 4.

Friday is finally here! Did you watch the NFL Draft last night? Did your team snag a much-needed player? It’s day two and many more picks are ahead – who are you hoping your team will pickup?

In This Issue: Book Recommendations? | Kendall Howard 20″ Solid Sliding Shelf | All Wireless Standards are NOT Created Equal | News to Start Your Day

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The CK Daily – Book Recommendations?

Happy Friday, folks!

April is almost behind, and I can’t believe how fast this year is flying by!

I love reading books and applying that knowledge to improve areas of my life (business, personal, & spiritual)! However, when we started working from home at the start of the pandemic, I found myself reading far less than when I traveled to the office each day. At that time, I had an Audible subscription, and I had plenty of windshield time to listen to books. To get back in the habit of reading, I’ve set a goal this year to read twelve books (one per month). I’ve finished three so far, so I’m a bit behind.

One of my favorite books is Atomic Habits by James Clear. We use habits in all areas of our life. Some are super simple, like our morning routine, which we do without thinking each day. And the principles of habits very much apply to business. A business process is like a habit. A new process is hard on day 1, gets easier by day 5, and eventually becomes a habit by day 30 or 60. 😀

I’m looking for a couple of book recommendations. What are your top three business books?

Chris

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Product Spotlights & Updates

The Kendall Howard 20″ deep solid sliding rack shelf has a 100-pound maximum weight capacity. The shelf surface is 20″ deep and 16.5″ wide. The shelf extends a full 18″ out of the rack making it easy to access the back of mission-critical components and maintain your network equipment. The mounting ears will mount in any 19″ EIA Compliant rack with a minimum mounting depth of 19″ and a maximum mounting depth of 28″. The Kendall Howard 20″ deep solid sliding rack shelf has a built-in lip to make sliding them in and out easy and, due to their innovative design, the 20″ solid sliding rack shelf can be used as a 1U drawer.

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Learning Center Article – All Wireless Standards are NOT Created Equal

Everything is wireless these days so upgrading your Wi-Fi hardware is critical to future-proofing your network. When the time for new components is at hand, it is important to select the products that fully support your communication and data transfer needs. From fiber cabling to Wi-Fi routers, the choices abound and each one can have a direct impact on your overall network performance. Despite very similar nomenclature, the varying forms of 802.11 are all quite different.

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Today’s News to Start Your Day:

• Google is now letting users request to remove their phone numbers, physical addresses, and email addresses from the company’s search results. The new policy is intended to prevent bad actors from using people’s sensitive information in malicious ways, like identity theft or in-person stalking.
• Snapchat has introduced a drone called Pixy. Essentially it’s meant to be a flying camera. It’s a small, pocketable device with four tiny propellers. There will be a camera dial to let you set how the drone will fly, while photos and recordings are stored in your Memories inside the Snapchat app.
• Elon Musk sold roughly $4 billion worth of Tesla shares in the days following his bid to take Twitter private. The bulk of the CEO’s sales were made on Tuesday and resulted in Tesla shares falling by 12%.
• Victoria’s Secret is taking its beauty business to Amazon, marking the company’s first major tie-up with another retailer to sell its goods. With Friday’s launch, about 120 different products including branded fragrances, lotions, body scrubs, and body washes will be available on a new Victoria’s Secret “storefront” on Amazon.

Happy Thursday and Happy Draft Day! Today is night 1 of the NFL Draft – who’s excited? Who are you dreaming your team snags for the 2022 season?

In This Issue: Yard Games and Cookouts | 3M LC-LC OM3 | Single Mode vs Multimode Fiber Cables | News to Start Your Day

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The CK Daily – Yard Games and Cookouts

This past weekend was a blast. The weather was great and I ended up going to several cookouts. It’s always nice to get together with people to cook out, relax, and have fun, especially with friends you haven’t had a chance to see for a while. Part of the cookout festivities included a wide selection of yard games. This has kinda become a thing in the new neighborhood. Everyone has their own different games that they bring over. We had everything from ladder ball to Kan Jam, cornhole to badminton, and everything in-between. The competitive nature tends to really come out in people when their favorite game is being played.

This year I invested in some new cornhole boards. I wanted some that were durable but were kinda different than just your normal boards. I got competition-level boards with a flag design on them and had built-in led lights. They seemed to be the hit of the later cookout, especially when it got dark. I have to admit they were a bit cooler than I thought they might be. Below is a cool pic I got of them in the evening.

So, what’s your favorite backyard game to play with friends and family?

Have a great Thursday and upcoming weekend!

Jason

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Product Spotlights & Updates

Fiber optic cabling is the medium of choice for longer-distance and challenging cabling runs. These 3M LC-LC OM3 fiber patch cables are thinner than copper patch cords and immune to EMI (Electromagnetic Interference) making them perfect for riser runs and uplink cables.

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Learning Center Article – Single Mode vs Multimode Fiber Cables

Fiber optics are essential for building the most capable networks, but when making design choices, there are plenty of options that serve fiber optics in general. One of the primary choices available to any network engineer exists between single-mode fiber and multimode fiber.

These are physically different approaches to fiber optics communication, and as such, they offer different strengths and weaknesses. To effectively choose the right design for your network, it helps to have a better understanding of what separates these types of cables.

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Today’s News to Start Your Day:

• Australia has opened a facility that will ‘blast’ human waste and convert it into fertilizer.
• Denmark has announced that they plan to halt their Covid vaccination program.
• American Trevor Reed, a US citizen and former Marine who had been detained in Russia since 2019, is back in the United States. The release ended a nearly three-year ordeal for Reed, who was sentenced to nine years in prison in July 2020 for endangering the “life and health” of Russian police officers in an altercation.
• Moderna has asked the FDA to authorize its Covid vaccine for children ages 6 months to 5 years old.

It’s Hump Day! Seems like a solid day to bring this video to the top of your inbox. Enjoy!

In This Issue: Staying Connected! | HP Original 300GB 6G SAS | Wired vs Wireless Networks: Which is better? | News to Start Your Day

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The CK Daily – Staying Connected!

Happy Wednesday everyone! This week, I’ve found myself connecting with some friends I haven’t seen in a while, and what an incredible feeling it has been. My husband and I have moved around quite a bit, and while exciting to be closer to family – the heart strings sure are missing the incredible friends we’ve made through the years that we are now fairly far away from. It seems as though it’s harder and harder to stay connected to people which is quite ironic considering the world of technology that we are surrounded with every day. But, I think the true point of that is that it’s hard to find ways to stay connected intentionally and in a more personal way.

All that to say, how do you stay connected with your friends that are near and far? What’s your favorite part of reuniting with old friends?

Ashley

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Product Spotlights & Updates

CablesAndkits.com is proud to offer the best of both worlds, HP and Dell hard drives. These hard drives are HP and Dell original. The SAS hard drives operate in a state of the art performance for hosting high transaction applications. The SAS hard drives are available in 2.5-inch small form factor (SFF) and come in a wide selection of storage capacities. Each hard drive is wiped of previous information and is fully tested.

When you purchase a hard drive from CablesAndkits, you are backed by our industry-leading advanced replacement lifetime warranty. – Yes, we do mean FREE hard drive replacement.

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Learning Center Article – Wired vs Wireless Networks: Which is better?

When it comes to designing your network, you have to make one basic decision before you get to anything else. Do you want wireless connectivity? The truth is that wired and wireless networks offer significant pros and cons when compared to each other. It’s important to have a good appreciation of those pros and cons before committing to your network design or plan.

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Today’s News to Start Your Day:

• As prices climb at the grocery store and gas station, Walmart said that it will offer deeper discounts on fuel to nudge more customers to join and renew Walmart+.
• Apple opened its “Self Service Repair” online store on Wednesday. You can now purchase your own parts to repair your iPhone.
• SpaceX launched a group of astronauts for NASA early Wednesday morning. This means that Elon Musk’s company has now sent 26 people to orbit in less than two years.
• China has recorded its first human infection with the H3N8 strain of bird flu.

Today we recognized one of America’s favorite snacks – pretzels! Do you prefer a bag of nice crunch, salty pretzels, or a bit, warm, soft cinnamon pretzel? The options are endless when it comes to this tasty snack!

In This Issue: Hello from the Beach | Cisco DB9 Female to RJ45 Female Console Adapter | What is the difference between OS2, OM1, OM2, OM3, OM4, and OM5? | News to Start Your Day

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The CK Daily – Hug Your Loved Ones

Good Morning and Happy Tuesday! I am feeling quite fortunate to be writing this from the beach this week! I lucked out and got invited on a last minute family vacation to Hilton Head, SC and there was no way I was going to turn down the opportunity! Hilton Head is one of our absolute favorite beach towns vacation to. It’s such a charming place with plenty of beautiful beaches, Spanish moss hanging from the trees, tons of sidewalks for bike riding or running/walking, and of course tons of great shopping and eating! We couldn’t have asked for better weather this week either. Every day is calling for sunshine and temps between 78-80! I’m excited to make the most of this week (while still trying to stay on top of work, of course!) If you’re someone who loves Hilton Head, let me know any favorite restaurants or places of interest that we should check out! Hope everyone has a great week!

Rebecca

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Product Spotlights & Updates

If you’re in IT, you know you can never be too prepared for anything. That’s why we think it’s smart to always have some of our Cisco equipment on hand. Connect terminals on your desktop back to a central patch panel with Cisco DB9 Female to RJ45 Female Console Adapters. Modular adapters are a cost-effective way to complete connections. Use these console adapters for terminals, serial printers, modems, POS, and other serial equipment. This network modular adapter has a DB9 Female to RJ45 Female connection.

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Learning Center Article – What is the difference between OS2, OM1, OM2, OM3, OM4, and OM5?

When it comes to fiber-optic networks, there are a lot of options in how a network is designed. Ultimately, the demands of the network will determine which cable is best for any given job, but you need to have a clear understanding of the different fiber cables in order to make that decision. While the complete list of design differences could fill several books, you can understand the key variations in design in a few minutes. This quick guide will highlight the characteristics of OS2, OM1, OM2, OM3, OM4, and OM5 fiber cables.

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Today’s News to Start Your Day:

• Twitter’s board accepted Elon Musk’s offer to buy the social media company and take it private.
• The world’s oldest person, Japan’s Kane Tanaka, has passed away at the age of 119.
• General Motors has announced that they will produce a fully electric Chevrolet Corvette.
• The FDA has approved remdesivir to treat young children as young as 28 days and weighing atleast 7 pounds with Covid-19.