What's in your toolkit?

My new job has me at client sites more often than I'm at the office(I just billed 30.5 hours this weekend doing a full infrastructure upgrade). This has me in a bit of bind: Having worked for the past four years as a single-site tech where any tools/programs I needed were down the hall, I'm having to contend with my office being, at minimum, an hour from my client's.

In an effort to build a better toolkit, I ask you, TechExams: what's in your toolkit?

(This can include software too, of course.)

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Comments

Plantwiz

Previous discussions:

http://www.techexams.net/forums/off-topic/13992-techs-software-toolkit-2-12-2007-a.html

http://www.techexams.net/forums/off-topic/42869-tools-every-computer-tech-needs.html

http://www.techexams.net/forums/jobs-degrees/44382-computer-tech-software-job.html

Hyper-Me

An external drive, screwdriver with multiple bits, laptop, 2 thumb drives (1 with WinPE 3.0, 1 with some installers and portable apps), MalwareBytes.

ColbyG

Google
NMAP
PuTTY

That's all I have off the top of my head.

chrisone

notepad, google lol

DevilWAH

3 X usb pen drives

toteling about 12gig of storage. no idea what's on them, I know they have Teraterm, a few IOS's, and various bits an peices that come in handy,

but by far my biggest tool is Google. I did once build a boot cd and a tools cd, but to be honest most of the time i only used one or tow of the tools. and the times i did need something different it was not on the CD's.

Like Colby, I think just keep the essentials and get the rest as you go along.

msteinhilber

Notebook
USB -> Serial
PCMCIA Compact Flash reader
2.5" Ext. HDD
Couple 16gb Flash Drives
Barware Mini Travel Bar w/ full flask

TheShadow

msteinhilber wrote: »

Barware Mini Travel Bar w/ full flask

You can ship me that new keyboard at any time

Me netbook, acronis, 2.5 external, pen drives.

forkvoid

Plantwiz wrote: »

Previous discussions:

http://www.techexams.net/forums/off-topic/13992-techs-software-toolkit-2-12-2007-a.html

http://www.techexams.net/forums/off-topic/42869-tools-every-computer-tech-needs.html

http://www.techexams.net/forums/jobs-degrees/44382-computer-tech-software-job.html

Damn, now I feel like a fool. I pondered searching first, and only through my foolishness did I ignore that pondering.

tbgree00

My kit is a little ridiculous but everything in it has come in handy. I have an empty sata and IDE enclosure, an external floppy drive and DVD burner, a few USB keys, a burned CD with malware removal tools, a Vista Home Premium and XP Professional disk, a small tool kit, a router, and a bunch of cat5 and USB a to b cables. I go through a lot of cable because I sell them very cheap or give them out as a promotion with a few hours of consulting.

arwes

USB thumbdrive loaded up with PortableApps and ClamWin Portable along with MalwareBytes, HijackThis, latest ComboFix and I always keep the latest printer drivers on there too.

Hyper-Me

arwes wrote: »

USB thumbdrive loaded up with PortableApps and ClamWin Portable along with MalwareBytes, HijackThis, latest ComboFix and I always keep the latest printer drivers on there too.

I'm too much of a sissy to use ComboFix on a client machine with important docs because i've seen it hose a box too often.

arwes

ComboFix is to me as the Death Blossom was to The Last Starfighter, a weapon of last resort. By that time I've got everything that's crucial to the person backed up somehow.

brad-

I have gotten good mileage from a USB ethernet adapter and an external HD enclosure.

Spare monitor as well.

Plantwiz

forkvoid wrote: »

Damn, now I feel like a fool. I pondered searching first, and only through my foolishness did I ignore that pondering.

Considering how many have posted...I see it as a sign that folks needed to dig in their toolboxes again just to 'see' what they may be using

Certainly there is valid info in the other threads, there are also newer 'tools' in some instances today then maybe when folks initally posted.

Kaminsky

Swiss Backpack
A4 Calandar diary
Laptop with usb-serial cable with ms office and Putty.
bright but powerfull mini led torch
Decent quality cabling snips
Ratchet screwdriver
Krone punch down tool
Roll of velcro strip
Sandwiches or salad and bottle of water.
Nice and light and rubberised mostly.

Tools all fit easily in the front pocket of backpack. Laptop and notebook in back pocket of backpack. Middle pocket for lunch. Upper pocket for phones and chargers and side pocket for water bottle.

Ideally a good Fluke tester but i've not got one of those. Blanket site access wherever you need to go would also be very usefull as would a company car with a fuel card.

Paul Boz

Dell Studio XPS 16 laptop w/ 8gb ram
Dell D630 laptop (craptop)

blank media (USB/CDR/DVDR/hard drive)
laptop drive eSATA external enclosure
500gb western digital portable HDD (laptop drive size)
wireless access point (the size of a credit card)
various cables
bluetooth mouse
USB switchblade
kon-boot

For social engineering it just depends. If I'm dressing up like a pest inspector I'll have a spray bottle, bag of traps, invoices, memo pad, etc. For phone repair tech I've got a tool belt with butt set and other telco tools, invoices, fake IDs, etc. It just depends on the job and the scenario.

Hyper-Me

Paul Boz wrote: »

For social engineering it just depends. If I'm dressing up like a pest inspector I'll have a spray bottle, bag of traps, invoices, memo pad, etc. For phone repair tech I've got a tool belt with butt set and other telco tools, invoices, fake IDs, etc. It just depends on the job and the scenario.

You seriously do that?

That has to be the coolest job, ever.

Paul Boz

Hyper-Me wrote: »

You seriously do that?

That has to be the coolest job, ever.

What do you think Dynamik and I do for a living?

Ahriakin

The force of my Mighty Will!!!
(Backed up by a multi-screwdriver, console cables and putty)

Hyper-Me

Paul Boz wrote: »

What do you think Dynamik and I do for a living?

I'm getting flashbacks of the scene in Waynes World 2 where they dress up in various uniforms to spy on Cassandra, and end up dancing on stage as the Village People.

networker050184

Hyper-Me wrote: »

I'm getting flashbacks of the scene in Waynes World 2 where they dress up in various uniforms to spy on Cassandra, and end up dancing on stage as the Village People.

Lol I love that movie.

veritas_libertas

Paul Boz wrote: »

What do you think Dynamik and I do for a living?

Umm, what I would love to be doing?

Paul Boz

veritas_libertas wrote: »

Umm, what I would love to be doing?

dude his mom is over-rated.

undomiel

Thumb drive with various antimalware and antivirus utilities, Acronis, a plethora of various and sundry OS discs, console cable, Latitude D820, various and sundry screw drives, wire cutters, and so forth, password reset disc, a couple Linux distros, OpenFiler, network cable, some miscellaneous p2v software, and my sometimes not feeling up to the chore brain. So far fortunately have not had a bad experience with ComboFix.

HeroPsycho

Paul Boz wrote: »

dude his mom is over-rated.

NICE!

Pash

I was tempted to post yesterday in before dynamiks mom is mentioned, too late. Sorry mate.

Pretty much the same as most others. My console cable is most important thing in the field, feel nekid without it!