ADO is your best bet. You keep the connection open only as long as is
necessary to update or get data. I always link my tables (So I can simplify
my Connection string to CurrentProject.Connection), but keep my forms unbound
for speed issues.

Here is the Cliff Notes version of using ADO.

***************************
*** To fill a form w/ pre-existing data

Dim rst as ADODB.Recordset
Set rst = new ADODB.Recordset
Dim cn as Stringcn = "Provider = Microsoft.Jet.OLEDB.4.0; " & _
       "Perisist Security Info = False; " & _
       "User ID = Admin; " & _
        "DataSource = EmployeeServer\EmployeeDatabase.mdb"

With rst
       .ActiveConnection = cn
       .CursorType = adOpenKeyset
       .LockType = adLockPessimistic
       .Open "Select * from  EmployeeTable; "
       End With

Me.ID = rst!ID
Me.FirstName = rst!FirstName
Me.LastName = rst!LastName
Me.Manager = rst!Manager

rst.Close
Set rst = Nothing

******************************
*** To add a record

Dim rst as ADODB.Recordset
Set rst = new ADODB.Recordset
Dim cn as String

cn = "Provider = Microsoft.Jet.OLEDB.4.0; " & _
       "Perisist Security Info = False; " & _
       "User ID = Admin; " & _
        "DataSource = EmployeeServer\EmployeeDatabase.mdb"

With rst
       .ActiveConnection = cn
       .CursorType = adOpenKeyset
       .LockType = adLockPessimistic
       .Open "Select * from  EmployeeTable; "'
       .AddNew
            !FirstName = Me.FirstName
            !LastName = Me.LastName
            !Manager = Me.Manager
       .Update

End With
me.ID = rst!ID

rst.Close
Set rst = Nothing

******************************************
*** To edit an existing record is a little trickier because you
***  have to use a "Find" clause.

Dim rst as ADODB.Recordset
Set rst = new ADODB.Recordset
Dim cn as String
Dim strFind as String

cn = "Provider = Microsoft.Jet.OLEDB.4.0; " & _
       "Perisist Security Info = False; " & _
       "User ID = Admin; " & _
        "DataSource = EmployeeServer\EmployeeDatabase.mdb"
strFind = "ID = '" & CStr(Me.ID) & "'"
With rst
       .ActiveConnection = cn
       .CursorType = adOpenKeyset
       .LockType = adLockPessimistic
       .Open "Select * from  EmployeeTable; "'
       .Find strFind
            !FirstName = Me.FirstName
            !LastName = Me.LastName
            !Manager = Me.Manager
       .Update

The linking information is in the table defs' Connect
property.  For a Jet database, it is just:
    ";DATABASE=pathtobackend.mdb"

Omce you figure out where the table's database is, just set
the property:

DbEngine(0)(0).TableDefs!nameoftable.Connect = _
                                            ";DATABASE=pathtobackend.mdb"