CablesAndKits Blog

No worries if today isn’t your birthday, anniversary or wedding day – you can still enjoy a delicious slice of chocolate cake because it’s National Chocolate Cake Day. Are you a chocolate cake with chocolate frosting person, or a chocolate cake with vanilla frosting?

In This Issue: Back at it! | Cisco 3800 Series Router | News to Start Your Day

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The CK Daily – Back at it!

Good morning! Thank goodness it is Thursday!

This week has been nuts! We have a lot of awesome things going on here at CK and it is keeping us all super busy. The past two weeks have made it feel like every day has been non-stop. It could be all of the new projects with it being the beginning of a new year, it could be that this has just been a crazy busy January or both.

Last week, I jumped headfirst back into running. I haven’t really run, like real running, in several months. Between the house stuff, work, the weather, being sick, and just not wanting to, I just haven’t had it in me to do it. I thought about it several times but I have just been a bum with it. That was until several of my neighbors wanted to create a running group for the neighborhood. That really piqued my interest and I figured it would be a great way to hold myself and for them to hold me accountable at the same time.

It has worked! I am nowhere near where I used to be with my stamina, distance, or time, but it is a step in the right direction. I have slept better, been more energetic, had more thinking/quiet time, and just felt better overall (besides being sore…haha!). Plus, it has been great getting to know some of my new neighbors better and hanging out with them. We had a great run last night, and I am looking forward to the next one.

I hope y’all have a great Thursday and make the most of it!

Jason

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Product Spotlights & Updates

Cisco builds on its industry-standard line of Integrated Services Routers with the 3800 series. These routers offer superior scalability and investment protection through its built-in modular design. Application Layer functions, intelligent network services, and converged communications all combine to provide a truly seamless, robust, intelligent routing solution. With added support for over 90 new and existing modules, the Cisco 3800 series will lower your TCO (total cost of ownership) while providing a voice, data, and security backbone for today’s growing business network infrastructure needs.

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Learning Center Article – What Are Console Cables and What Are They Used For?

Console cables — also known as Cisco cables, rollover cables and management cables — are designed for a specific purpose. They connect Cisco networking devices to terminals or PCs for configuration. Typically, the Cisco end will connect via RJ45, and the terminal end will conclude in a serial connection.

What matters most about console cables is the specific nature of the connection. This is not an Ethernet or networking connection. It is a terminal connection, and its purpose is to enable the connected computer to configure the networking device. Read more about console cables and what they are used for here.

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Today’s News to Start Your Day:

• A sleep hack developed by the military to make you fall asleep in under 2 minutes has gone viral on TikTok.
• Apple has plans for a new service that would help small businesses collect payments using an iPhone.
• A recent breakthrough has resulted in a frog’s missing leg being regrown by the use of a chemical cocktail.
• Current stocks making the biggest moves are Comcast, McDonald’s, Blackstone, Netflix, Tractor Supply, Tesla, and Intel.

Happy Wednesday! We’ve made it to the middle of the week and we hope it’s been a good one. Do you have a goal you’re trying to achieve this week?

In This Issue: See you soon! | MPO, 12-Strand, OM4 | News to Start Your Day

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The CK Daily – See you soon!

Happy Wednesday!

Well, the time has come, and I have entered my last week of work before I deliver my second child. I always say the time has flown by, but this pregnancy has gone by in the blink of an eye.

As I’ve prepared for my leave, I have spent a lot of time nesting in my home as well as working to ensure that everything is ready! My husband has rearranged a lot of furniture on the personal front, and I’ve rearranged and edited lots of process documents for the customer solutions and customer experience team.

As much as I am excited to take a break away from work, I am equally nervous as I am a bit of a worrier when I’m not directly involved. Our CK President, Chris McCoy likes to say, as a leader sometimes we can’t see what needs to be fixed or worked on until we take a step away and let the team run. When we, as leaders, take a vacation it allows the team to run as it should and issues may make themselves apparent which in turn will help us understand what needs to be “fixed”. Although I hope everything runs smoothly, I am anxious to find out what I can do to help the team run even more efficiently to serve each of you. I don’t expect anything to change while away. If anything, I think the team is going to be so much stronger once I return!

See you in a few weeks!

Shanyce

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Product Spotlights & Updates

Our MPO Essentials line of fiber cables feature 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 a Cat8 Ethernet Cable and How is it Different?

We were told that Ethernet was going to be a thing of the past. Google tried to make fiber optics the new standard for home internet connections, and it was an obvious choice for scaling industrial applications. Somehow, Ethernet has hung in there, and new iterations arise every few years that continue to push the envelope of traditional copper wires.

In this article, we cover the latest iteration: Cat8. We’re going to start with the basics, but in a few short minutes, you’ll have a clear picture of what Cat8 is, how it works and why you need to be thinking about it.

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Today’s News to Start Your Day:

• Mattel has won the license to make toys based on Walt Disney’s princess lineup.
• Bentley Motors plans to spend $3.4 billion over the next decade to become a fully electric luxury brand by 2030.
• College seniors fix erosion in New Orleans by resuming citywide bottle recycling to crush them for sand.
• Pfizer and BioNTech started clinical trials for an Omicron-specific vaccine.

Can you believe it’s almost the end of the month? The time is flying by. What’s something you’re grateful for that has happened so far in 2022?

In This Issue: Gardening Tips | Cisco 3850 Series PoE+ 48 Port Switch | News to Start Your Day

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The CK Daily – Gardening Tips

Good Morning and Happy Tuesday! Hope everyone had an awesome weekend and is off to a great start this week! We had a short discussion here at CK yesterday about how there are lots of empty shelves at grocery stores these days (we specifically were bummed that we couldn’t find frozen potato products… no fries or crispy crowns – such a shame!).

With all the uncertainty and shortages, it kind of got me thinking that it might not be the worst time to try growing a small garden! It’s something I have thought about doing for years, but I think this is the year where I’ll actually go for it! Considering that I have zero experience, I won’t try to go overboard, but if I could grow a few vegetables and maybe a little fruit (blueberries sound good!), I’d be happy!

Have you ever tried to grow a garden? Let me know if you have a green thumb and have any tips or recommendations on what to grow!

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 – 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 determine the best for you!

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Today’s News to Start Your Day:

• No need to sharpen your No. 2 pencils, the SAT will soon be taken exclusively on a computer.
• Amy Schneider is continuing her historic run on “Jeopardy” after setting a new record for the second-longest winning streak when she won her 39th consecutive game on Monday night.
• Sony Music Entertainment has acquired the entire recorded music catalog of Bob Dylan.
• Philips Hue announced three new outdoor smart lights and new features for its app.

Happy Monday! Has anyone told you you’re doing a great job, lately? Today is National Compliment Day, so take it from us when we say you are killing it.

In This Issue: Celebrating Turning Two! | Cisco 100G and 40GBASE SR QSFP Transceiver Module | News to Start Your Day

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The CK Daily – Celebrating Turning Two!

Merry Monday! The weekend passed with a blur. We celebrated my youngest daughter’s birthday and had a small get together. It’s hard to believe that she’s already two years old. The amount of growth between the ages of one and two are just astonishing. We were measuring her height from the last year (we take a measurement against a wall every month) and you could see the major height difference between when she turned one to when she turned two. It’s been an absolute blink and you’ll miss it moment.

I guess you could say she has leveled up to become a toddler. With that comes a new set of challenges. I’ve experienced the terrible two’s before, but I don’t think you could ever really prepare for it. Every kid is different. For example, instead of listening to the Frozen soundtrack a million times, we’ve listened to Baby Shark at least two million times. The original video on YouTube has 10 billion views (no joke!)… and I’m sure my family has greatly contributed to that number.

It’s weird to think about how all she’s known her entire life is this COVID world. My hope for her is that the pandemic will end before her third birthday and that she has the opportunity to experience the world post-COVID. I think we’re all ready for that to happen.

Cris

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Product Spotlights & Updates

The Cisco QSFP-40/100-SRBD is an extremely versatile dual-rate bidirectional (BiDi) QSFP28 transceiver module. It is capable of providing 40GBase-SR or 100GBase-SR throughput using multi-mode fiber (MMF).

This module is an excellent way for customers to utilize their current 10G LC duplex MMF cabling infrastructure while migrating to 40G or 100G Ethernet connectivity.

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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:

• Apple will continue to waive the in-app purchase requirement for online group and event apps until June.
• Dylan Sadiq became the College Cuber last year after he started creating mosaics of famous athletes using cubes. It’s estimated he will make $100,000 is sales this year.
• The State Department has ordered families of U.S embassy employees in Kyiv, Ukraine, to leave the country.
• Omicron is continuing to put pressure on the U.S. food system. Staff shortages and supply-chain issues are leading to gaps on grocery-store shelves.

Happy Friday! What a week! We kicked it off with a snow day for many and are hopefully ending with a bit warmer weather. Do you have any big weekend plans? We’d love to hear about them!

In This Issue: Helping you Succeed | Webcam 1080p Full-HD | News to Start Your Day

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The CK Daily -Helping you Succeed

Happy Friday!

This week has flown by! It’s also the first week that has felt normal for me, so it’s exciting that things are starting to fall into place this year.

I want to continue the thread that Jason started yesterday. We are preparing a new website that will be coming soon. We really do want to hear from each of you as we do this! Our primary driver internally is to see our customers succeed with each technology project. With that in mind, is there something that would make your life easier or make your technology projects smoother?

Have a great weekend!

Chris

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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 – How to Recycle IT Equipment and Why We Should

IT networking equipment can be a source of a lot of trouble. It’s expensive to purchase and sometimes challenging to set up. It requires constant maintenance and babysitting, and despite all of your effort and dedication, some of it can still have a short lifespan.

Here are some thoughts on recycling that are worth contemplating. Why should you recycle, really? Assuming you want to recycle, how can you actually do it? Who even takes old IT equipment for recycling? Read more here.

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Today’s News to Start Your Day:

• Google has announced they will be building an AR headset.
• Netflix has had an 18% fall in subscriber growth.
• Peloton is temporarily halting production of its connected fitness products as consumer demand wanes and the company looks to control costs.
• NASA just opened a challenge seeking ways to go to Mars and back with a minimum of wasted materials.

Happy Thursday! There’s no need to feel blue, throw a feta or act capriciously today. It’s a gouda day because we are one day closer to the weekend – also, it’s National Cheese Lover’s Day! There are over 1,800 types of cheeses in the world, what’s your favorite?

In This Issue: Changes are coming | Cisco 2960-X Series Switch | News to Start Your Day

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The CK Daily – Changes are coming

Happy Thursday!

This has been a fun week. Besides enjoying the leftover snow and hoping for another snowstorm to come through this week (we don’t get many of these in the South), I have been working on a good bit of optimizations for our site, but the really fun part has been working on the new website we have coming soon. Primarily, I have been working on the new category structure for us to be able to pull the products in to. It has still been exciting thinking through how the site will look, act, and how you might interact with it. Once we get on the new website, there will be a lot of enhancements, changes, upgrades, and a lot of other bells & whistles to make everyone’s experience so much better.

With that in mind, I am curious, what would YOU like to see on the new website? What changes to our current site would you make? How would you make it better? I am all ears. You can speak freely with me about it, and now is the time to do so. I want to hear your thoughts anywhere from layout, to design, to colors, to checkout, to products pages, to site search…to whatever.

Thanks in advance for any suggestions or thoughts you have.

Have a great rest of the week and weekend!

Jason

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Product Spotlights & Updates

Cisco has always done an amazing job with catering to small and medium businesses. The Cisco 2960-X series is another generation to 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 – Pandemic Proof Careers

No one can really predict to what extent the coronavirus pandemic will affect our nation’s economy. With the virus a constant threat and no sign of it disappearing any time soon, it may be time to turn towards a “pandemic proof” career. Statistics show that some jobs are more recession-proof than others and that we might be saying goodbye to some on the cusp of extinction.

Making the transition towards pandemic proof / recession proof jobs can be daunting, but in a world that faces uncertainty, it might be the best move for students. Read more about pandemic proof careers here.

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Today’s News to Start Your Day:

• Amazon has announced they are launching an apparel store, called Amazon Style.
• Verizon and AT&T have officially launched a new part of their 5G networks.
• Three former SpaceX engineers are designing self-powered electric freight train cars which will have the potential to make railroad transportation more targeted.
• SpaceX has launched its 2000th Starlink satellite.