While I do not have any practical use for this, Thank You for the cool idea LifeHacker (and you too Jason)!

easy2panic

Anyone got Gary Glitter's email?

zarathustra

Guys, GUYS, I'M TALKING TO MY DATA! THIS IS FREAKY!

Con Seannery

Wow. I would NEVER have a need for this.

nobodyzhome

To be really really sneaky you can use a phone socket that has 2 line capacity, and connect line 1 to your phone line and line 2 to the usb drive. That way you can have your working phone plugged into the socket, making it look totally innocent. If you need to access the phone and the drive simultaneously you can get a 2 line splitter.

macrumpton

@macrumpton: Almost all regular phone cords are capable of handling two lines, since a line only needs two wires. However connecting the USB requires all 4 wires according to this DIY, so I don't think a phone line could be connected simultaneously.

equazcion

Neat but not anything that I would need.

CaptainHowdy

@Klopfer haha, yeah. Also I should add that I can't see any "real" use for this either. You're surely better off just putting TrueCrypt on the drive and leaving it sitting on your desk where the thief will likely not even bother picking it up while he's unplugging your 24" cinema screen haha

zarathustra

@macrumpton: Some people use RJ45 for phone, so you could wire the 4 inner for line 1/2 and the outer 4 for super secret data!

I just hope you're not plugged in to the secret data port when being robbed as a savvy theif will wonder what the usb cord is doing plugged into the wall.

You could try these too: [www.datapro.net]

appletag

Interesting idea, but the fact of the matter is that anyone really looking to find your "data" will also, most likely, find your usb/phone cable and catch on. Its not like usb/phone cables are very common.

jimforcy

No need for this??? Really?

I totally plan on doing this to store an external hard-drive in for back-ups. This means if my computer gets stolen, hopefully I still have all my data.

I've heard of people who do regular back-ups to an external hard-drive, then get robbed and lose their back-up instead. Off-site via Internet is ideal, but my upload speed is way to slow to make it practical.

tommertron

@zarathustra: HAHAHA, I lol'd. It's probably 'Justgotoutofvietnam@wannabeinmygang.com'

Klopfer123

@tommertron: I second that, I'm looking for ideas for hiding external HDD, could be old radio or other useless electronics box.

artistpavel

@jimforcy: that is why you create a plethora of other uncommon cables that combine.

Phone > Parallel > Jaguar Controller > Firewire > Mini-DVI > USB

SamburgerHandwich

I've seen other hacks that involved getting power from the phone lines. I wonder if you could combine these hacks to use a powered hard drive, or something wireless. I don't think it is enough to power a drive, but maybe the power could charge a battery on a drive you only use for a small amount of time.

SamburgerHandwich

@SamburgerHandwich: Why dont you just run an outlet into the inside of the wall?

Lazarus

@SamburgerHandwich: i believe you can get 2.5" portable external hard drives that are capable of running on the power from the usb cable, i think 320GB for £65 (~US$115)is do-able

wjh31

@wjh31: The problem is he wants to run it on telephone power. The nominal voltage from a telephone line is 48VDC. When a number rings, that line is charged with 90VAC to ring the phone.

So the main issue will be wiring a transformer to convert the power and handle the power spikes, without frying your drive.

Lazarus

@tommertron: I was thinking the same thing. You could even leave it plugged in and the thief would probably think you're on dialup. This would be a great way of stashing your porn... umm financial data and computer back ups I mean.

Spaztrick

Neat idea, but not a lot of storage. You'd also be better off using a longer code so that the USB dongle could be tucked inside the wall and anyone openning the jack would simply see the expected wires.

Personally, I'm more into the idea of using a WiFi-enabled NAS (network attached storage) HD that could be stashed somewhere inside the house (or even outside). Many new houses are even wired for networks these days, so you could even use a gig ethernet system hard-wired in somewhere.

Add a wireless switch like an X-10 to turn it on/off, and you'd practically have to tear the house apart to find it.

Someone comes in and carts away the computer, but your data stays put.

lhmlco

@equazcion: a standard phone jack has 3 pairs of wires, with the center pair being used for line 1. Many phone cords have only 2 pair, but you don't use a phone cord with this, so it really doesn't matter. This leaves you with two pair (4 conductors) for the hidden data stash.

MyTQuinn

@jimforcy:

APC UPS to PC connector already looks like RG45 > usb.

Wolf-

@MyTQuinn: Most RJ11 cords sold have 3 pairs, however, most jacks sold for residential use have two pair. [en.wikipedia.org]

appletag

Why not make an RJ11-USB coupler thing so that you don't have said funky phone-USB cable plugged into it? All you'd have would be a phone cable.

SMSDHubbard

@Spaztrick: If crime is that bad, just move. :) Of course this is easier than moving. I still don't think I'll ever need this, though.

nobodyzhome

To bring the hack full circle, a lot of motherboards have more internal USB ports than people have ports to hook up. A person good with a sodering iron could take an old 56K PCI modem and break the leads to the board, and then solder the internal USB port to the modem. Solder the USB drive in the wall likewise, and hook them up via a regular phone cord. To keep the computer from wasting its resources on a pointless modem, I'd disable that PCI slot in the BIOS.

To an outside observer, it'd be a computer with a modem hooked up to a phone jack. It may be rare these days, but people still use them for faxes.

TVarmy

I've seen a similar idea awhile ago using an old battery back-up unit and mounting a hard drive into it.

xdurus

@zarathustra: THANK YOU. It gave me a snort.

hometoast

@nobodyzhome:

indeed. why the heck would you do this if you have software encryption.

mfresco

@TVarmy: Smart thinking. That is precisely the finishing touch this hack needs.

jharbert

Ok, you make your custom RJ11 to USB cable, and when you plug it in to your special wall-jack, it works great.

Now, what happens if you mix up wall jacks, plugging in to a standard phone jack instead? Answer: Busted motherboard when 90 volts of ring voltage hits your USB port.

I like @lhmlco's idea of the hidden wireless NAS, nothing explodes that way.

bobbo33

Is anyone else amused by the idea of a telephone cord handling 480Mbit USB 2.0 speeds?

jharbert

Yes, this is a "neat" project; but so many people here are thinking it's a great security option. Just lock your doors, and keep your important data backed up and encrypted.

hometoast

@nobodyzhome: Translation: "I'm not married." j/k

speed1961

@bobbo33: A lot of people don't have house phones anymore, so this might not be as much of an issue :)

KatieKate93

Personally, I don't see the point of doing this. Me, i just hide it inside my underwear. Who cares about the smell. :)

georgexu316

@georgexu316: The people stealing corporate secrets from your underwear-clad drunken ass, that's who cares about the smell.

Since you asked.

dlomax

@SamburgerHandwich: I thought pulling power off a phone line was illegal.

dlab