CablesAndKits Blog

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.

Happy Monday! We hope your weekend was full of time with family and lots of time outside. Across the country this weekend, there was generally some beautiful weather going on. What’s your favorite thing to do outside?

In This Issue: Hug Your Loved Ones | Cisco Catalyst 4948 48 Port Gigabit Switch | How to future-proof your network with Cisco 8800 series phones | News to Start Your Day

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The CK Daily – Hug Your Loved Ones

Good Monday morning!

Last week was full of excitement as I was in a car accident. Everyone is doing great (thankfully) and no one was injured! Our family was dropping my daughter off for piano lessons when someone decided to take a left turn in front of us at the very last minute. I had a couple of split-second choices – brake and continue going straight and slam into the car in front of us, brake and shift left and hit the cars in the oncoming lane, or brake and end up in a rather steep ditch lined with trees. I chose to break and skid into the ditch. By the grace of God, we landed perfectly between a tree stump and a tree with minimal damage to the van. The guy who made a left-hand turn sped off, but several people stopped and helped us out of our van. Luckily a tow truck was able to get the van out of the ditch, and we were able to drive the van home. I’m so glad there are still good people in the world!

This all happened last Thursday, and the kids seem totally fine which I was most worried about. We were a bit shaken as parents, and at the time we were most worried about the van rolling. The ditch we were on had a very steep incline. So needless to say, we kind of took it easy for the rest of the week and weekend and didn’t do much. This was definitely a sobering reminder to be thankful for our loved ones and the time we have together. I thank God for his protection and His grace. If you have a second today, reach out to a loved one or give them a hug and tell them you love them… you won’t regret it!

Cris

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Product Spotlights & Updates

The Cisco Catalyst 4948 is a 48-port gigabit Ethernet switch with four SFP fiber ports. The Cisco Catalyst 4948 delivers wire-speed throughput with low latency for data-intensive applications, using a 96-Gbps switching fabric with a forwarding rate of 72 Mbps for Layer 2 to 4 traffic. And better yet – it’s backed by our Lifetime Warranty!

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Learning Center Article – How to future-proof your network with Cisco 8800 series phones

Technology is constantly evolving and advancing, and the world of VoIP phones is no exception. Voice-over-IP technology has come a long way since it was first introduced in the 1990s, and many businesses, small and large, are adopting IP phones as replacements for old analog technologies.

If you are in the market for a VoIP phone, it’s critical that you maximize your investment by choosing equipment that will meet the needs of today as well as those of tomorrow. The Cisco IP Phone 8800 Series is Cisco’s next-generation advanced VoIP phone series and is an excellent option for anyone looking to future-proof their network.

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Today’s News to Start Your Day:

• The latest addition to the Starlink internet satellite constellation was visible Sunday night about an hour after sunset. Beginning around 8:56 p.m., onlookers glanced to the northwestern horizon for a line of small lights, 53 in all, rising upward. They passed nearly overhead just before 9 p.m. before disappearing above the southeastern horizon.
• GE hopes to 3D print the concrete bases of giant wind turbine towers hoping it will help to lower costs for the industry as turbines grow in size.
• Twitter shares jumped more than 5% in the premarket on reports the company is nearing a deal with Elon Musk that could be announced as soon as Monday.
• The first all-private astronaut team ever to fly aboard the International Space Station (ISS) departed the orbiting outpost on Sunday to begin a descent back to Earth, capping a two-week science mission hailed as a milestone in commercial spaceflight.

Happy Friday and Happy Earth Day! Today is all about protecting the Earth, its creatures, and its habitats. How are you taking part in celebrating the earth today?

In This Issue: What are your weekend plans? | Meraki MR32 | Best Practices for Data Center Security in 2022 | News to Start Your Day

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The CK Daily – What are your weekend plans?

Happy Friday, folks!

I have to say that I’m really excited about the weather this weekend! It will be in the upper 70’s here in Northeast Georgia. So we’re planning to spend lots of time outdoors over the weekend. I’m sure we’ll grill something this weekend! We’ll be outside playing outdoor games, completing some yard work, and soaking up the sunshine!

What are your plans for this weekend?

Chris

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Product Spotlights & Updates

The Meraki MR32 is a three-radio, cloud-managed 2×2 MIMO 802.11 ac access point that provides a maximum 1.2 Gbps data rate with concurrent 802.11ac and 802.11n 2×2:2 MIMO radios, and security and spectrum visibility via a third radio dedicated to 24×7 WIDS/WIPS and automated RF optimization. An integrated Bluetooth low energy (BLE) radio delivers Beacon functionality and BLE device scanning.

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Learning Center Article – Best Practices for Data Center Security in 2022

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.

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Today’s News to Start Your Day:

• Tax officials and legislators say that a law dissolving Disney’s self-governing status could saddle local taxpayers with more than $1 billion in bond debt.
• Twitter is going to allow developers to build on the platform itself, then promote their tools and services directly to users on Twitter at key moments.
• The Ax-1 Crew Dragon capsule is due to undock from the International Space Station Saturday night and then splashdown Sunday off the Florida coast.
• The CDC issues alert after mystery hepatitis outbreak among dozens of kids in the US and UK who have been hit with the liver disease.

Today’s the perfect day to “high-five” everyone you see to celebrate National High-Five Day! There’s no better feeling than a high-five after a big accomplishment. Out of all the triumphant gestures, such as the fist bump, fist pump, end zone dance, and chest bump – the high five stands in a class all its own.

In This Issue: Virtual Race Update | MPO-MPO, 12-Strand, OM4 | What is Switch Stacking & Why is it Important? | News to Start Your Day

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The CK Daily – Virtual Race Update

Happy Thursday!

Spring is def in full effect around here! Between the posts about planting and pollen, you can tell what is on everyone’s mind. As with many places, Georgia tends to skip right over Spring usually and go straight to Summer which means we have the extreme pollen along with the blazing heat all at the same time. This year has been a bit different. We have actually had a Spring with cooler temps at night and decently warm temps during the day. This weekend it starts heating up a bit. We are supposed to get into the low to mid-80s. For me, this has been the perfect weather to get out and run and do stuff outside. So far, the pollen hasn’t affected me too much. Probably from being in a new neighborhood where the trees and flowers are still pretty young. Hopefully, that lasts.

Figured I would give an update on where my team and I are at with our virtual race through Iceland. With injuries, traveling, and just life in general, I have teamed up with two other guys from my running group who are doing the race to help all of us push through it. We are just over 55% through the 828 miles. We are sitting at 456 miles completed. Getting over that 50% mark was a huge morale booster. I personally am sitting at 208 miles completed. It is going a bit slower than I had hoped since I had to take 3 weeks off (out of the 12 so far) because of my knee. With all of that, I am pretty proud of those numbers. The knee is about 95% back to normal, so I am hoping to start cranking out some higher numbers again soon. I am debating on doing something I said I would never do. I am toying with the idea of doing a marathon in September. Still not sold on the idea yet. I have done many half-marathons but never really had the desire to do a full. We will see how things continue to develop with the knee and virtual race over the next month or so.

I hope everyone has a great rest of the week and an awesome weekend. Make the best of it!

Jason

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Product Spotlights & Updates

Our MPO Essentials line of fiber cables features high-quality, precision-built connectors that ensure secure connections for stable transmission with minimal optical loss. This female-to-female cable features 12 strands of laser-optimized cable that allows you to drastically increase your network bandwidth. Additionally, this cable is made with a durable, Low Smoke Zero Halogen (LSZH) jacket. As with all of our products, these cables come with a Lifetime Advanced Replacement Warranty meaning that you can purchase risk-free knowing your satisfaction is guaranteed!

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Learning Center Article – What is Switch Stacking & Why is it Important?

There are countless ways to design a network and meet the criteria it needs to follow. Not all of these methods will be as efficient or affordable as others. That’s why network administrators are constantly learning new concepts.

Switch stacking is commonly used in high-end networking, but many small and medium businesses are missing out on the technique. Taking a minute to learn more about it could reveal a better way to run your network that saves time and money while improving network functionality.

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Today’s News to Start Your Day:

• A pregame performance at a Washington Nationals baseball game featuring the Army’s Golden Knights prompted a brief evacuation of the U.S. Capitol.
• Britain’s Queen Elizabeth II celebrated her 96th birthday on Thursday, in the same year that marks her 70 years on the throne.
• Brave and DuckDuckGo now let you block Google’s tracking on articles.
• Earth-imaging and data specialist Planet Labs on unveiled details of its new line of more powerful Pelican satellites. Planet expects to begin launching the Pelican satellites in early 2023, with the constellation consisting of up to 32 spacecraft.

The NBA playoffs kick off today! Are you ready?! Is your bracket set? Who are you cheering for to make it all the way to the end?

In This Issue: Plant Hacks | Cisco ASA5500-X | What are SFP’s? | News to Start Your Day

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The CK Daily – Plant Hacks

Happy Wednesday! I hope everyone had a wonderful Easter. I enjoyed the incredible weather we had on Easter but have not been a fan of this cold weather we’ve had the last few days. I hope warm weather is in our future!

Not too long ago, my husband and I made a big move from Ohio to Georgia. One of my biggest worries about the move was all of my plants! They survived the move, but two of them have been struggling lately. One is a fiddle leaf fig tree and the other is a rubber plant! They were previously thriving but have been pretty shaken since the move, so I’ve been doing quite a bit of research on what could be going on.

Do you have any “magic” tricks or hacks that seem to always work with any plant you have? I am stumped by these two, so am hoping I can find the trick soon!

Ashley

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Product Spotlights & Updates

Cisco ASA5500-X series next-generation firewall is the new enterprise-class standard in security for the current and emerging security pressures that may threaten your network. The new firewall line will give you the added security that your network needs, but at a cost that will keep an IT budget in line. The ASA5500-X series will give you a comprehensive range of next-generation security services that include: granular visibility and control, web security over the cloud or onsite, protection from malware, and remote access.

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Learning Center Article – What are SFP’s?

High-end networking demands high-end equipment. You have a plethora of options, but eventually, you have to make decisions on which technology covers each of your applications. When considering all of those options, an understanding of SFP transceivers is pivotal. It’s a core technology that serves as a primary workhorse in many networks. This guide is going to explain all about SFP and its primary uses.

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Today’s News to Start Your Day:

• After collecting eight rock-core samples from its first science campaign and completing a record-breaking, 31-Martian-day (or sol) dash across about 3 miles of Mars, NASA’s Perseverance rover arrived at the doorstep of Jezero Crater’s ancient river delta.
• Netflix has hinted it will crack down on households sharing passwords as it seeks to sign up new members following a sharp fall in subscribers.
• Mastodon, a similar alternative to Twitter, has officially come to the app store.
• Major U.S. airlines, including Delta and United, tossed out mask requirements on Monday after a federal judge struck down the Biden administration’s transportation mask mandate, giving customers and staff the first respite from the coronavirus restrictions in nearly two years.

Today we take a small pause to appreciate the vegetable also known as the “stinking rose” that has been used to season dishes for years – garlic! It’s National Garlic Day – what’s your favorite recipe to make with garlic included?

In This Issue: Allergy Season | Cisco 3850 Series PoE+ 48 Port Switch | The Best Ethernet for Gaming | News to Start Your Day

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The CK Daily – Allergy Season

Good Morning and Happy Tuesday! I hope everyone had a wonderful Easter weekend!

I was able to attend the G-day game at UGA on Saturday and got to enjoy some family time on Sunday so I’d call that a win! I must admit I’m struggling a bit today as I ran out of allergy medicine yesterday and thought I could just tough it out for a day… Needless to say, that was a bad idea.

I didn’t realize how much Spring allergies affected me until I tried to get some sleep last night. My lungs felt like they were full of pollen, I kept coughing, my eyes were watering, and my skin was super itchy. It was a rough night, to say the least! Luckily I made an early morning run to the store for some medicine which I’m hoping will kick in soon! Ready for some relief so that I can have a productive day! Probably will need more than the usual amount of caffeine to make that happen 😉

Rebecca

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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 – The Best Ethernet for Gaming

It’s good that you are looking at Ethernet internet options. As a gamer, you likely understand the horror of laggy games. When it comes to home networks and gaming, latency is a huge deal and can make or break your whole experience – and in the game, whether you live, die, or succeed. Latency is always with us; it’s just a matter of how significant it is. Wi-Fi simply isn’t as stable as Ethernet, and it leads to slower effective experiences due to higher chances of interference. Slow internet speeds can ruin the entire game, so you want something that can keep up. At the same time, you don’t want to spend a life’s fortune just on cables.

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Today’s News to Start Your Day:

• NASA has pulled its giant moon rocket off the launch pad, moving it to its assembly building for repairs after a series of setbacks halted planned tests.
• One of the oldest known meteor showers is gracing the night sky this week — coinciding with the celebration of our planet known as Earth Day. There hasn’t been a meteor shower in months, and the Lyrid shower marks the end of the drought. This year, the Lyrid meteor shower peaks overnight on April 22.
• Logitech has released a vertical mouse that’s easier to grasp.
• Audi is adding a “lounge on wheels” to its recent portfolio of electric concept vehicles that are designed to portray the German automaker’s vision for the future of transportation in automobiles.