The IT Forum gives AGC members an opportunity to discuss best practices and garner feedback about products and services that increase efficiencies. The following questions and answers were taken from recent forum posts.

Q: I just purchased our first Cradlepoint 3G/4G router (MBR95) to try out per recommendation at the IT Forum to provide a wired solution back to a couple of PCs, networked printer/scanner and potentially our vpn hardware. I’m going to pair with Verizon’s Pantech 4G LTE USB Modem UML290 on one of our smaller project sites. Wondering how reliable this type of solution has been for any of you that use a similar setup regularly? We should have decent 4G coverage where this is going to be place.
Ben Stromberg
Knutson Construction

A: We have had great success with it. The job has four employees (laptops), a watchguard firebox x21 making the connection to our datacenter, a procurve switch with an AP and a Konica Bizhub 260 (Copier/Scanner/Fax) attached to it. Everyone onsite runs apps through Xenapp, and we are getting 5MB down and 3 up w/@ 75ms latency. Overall not bad. Sometimes we have seen latency spike to @ 120, but it has been infrequent. Currently we have 2 jobs set like this. As a side note looking back at my logs, for the last three weeks we have had @ 40 MS latency.
Todd Eldredge
Donley's

A: I've been using this model for a while and it works great when the alternative is nothing. 
John Thompson
Joseph B. Fay Co.

Q: Anyone know of a good "free" SQL tool I can run on my desktop too review, backup SQL databases’?
Jim Gaba
Sierra Nevada Construction

A: If you're talking about MS-SQL you can install the Management Studio from the installation CD and use it to monitor remote servers.
Nathan Jovin
Soltek Pacific

A: I have several of my SQL backup jobs send me an email if they fail or succeed.
CJ Rainer
Doster Construction Company, Inc.