Hidden USB Storage

If you're like me, you may or may not have secret files plotting world domination and other devious deeds. These files obviously need to be hidden from the prying eyes of sisters, FBI agents, grandparents, etc. We are going to convert a phone jack in the wall into a secret USB memory device.

Note: I am not responsible for any illegal files or folders hidden on this device. Use your discretion before downloading any content you may believe to be illegal.

Now, with that out of the way, lets start building!

Step 1 What You Need

I did this project without spending a dime. If, however, you aren't privileged to have a box full of miscellaneous wires, you may have to buy some cheap items.

Ingredients:

1. Quality USB cable - I used an old iPod cable.

2. RJ-45 cord - Make sure there are four wires inside by looking through the clear connector. If you only see two wires, find a different cable.

3. A USB extension cord - make sure one of the ends is female. (You can go without this but you will have to break open your memory stick, and mess around inside...not suggested.)

4. USB stick containing your secret data.

5. And finally, the phone jack from the wall.

Tools:

1. Zippo or a different, inferior lighter.

2. Shrink tubing - If you don't have some of this stuff around the house, you should be ashamed of yourself.

3. Knife or wire strippers.

4. Screwdriver.

5. Solder and soldering iron.

Comments

[ThePunishersAprentis]

wicked idea.

[ThePunishersAprentis]

shrink tubing is awesome, but black tape should work just as good.

[mjzmjz]

really good idea, 1 question, can I put the usb drive in a live phone plate? Can I use the phone on that line, then unplug the phone, then use the usb drive?

[biomech75]

If you put the flashdrive along with the live phone box the power that the live phone connection has could damage the drive

[cparida]

are u mad?

[TrippingJimmies]

This would work with an RJ-45 (8 wire) connection. You setup the phone on the blue pair of the jack and the USB on any of the four wires.

[beehard44]

or an ethernet port. The ethernet port only uses 4 wires,leaving you with the other 4 (just make sure you aren't using power over ethernet)
So if you use wall mounted jacks, you can easily make a special cable to extract your precious files while leaving it useable for internet with a regular unmodified jack

[Tithen]

you could drill a small hole then feed the wires for the usb through and wrap them around your phone cable and maybe put a bit of tape around it and connect the wires to a usb male. kinda like when you have a wireless keyboard, the wires are kinda joined but split up at the end for the ps2. does that makes sense idk how to explain it.

[hoonflap]

maybe wire a bunch of reed switches (4 closed when no magnet for phone and 4 open when no magnet) for the phone and the usb, then put a bar magnet across the front as your "key" to access the usb. phone jack should still work when plugged into a phone with no magnet present.

[Toki Wartooth]

I'm pretty sure that wouldn't work. I'm assuming you would splice the phone line and the USB line together and terminate it at the phone jack. Phone lines carry a little bit of electricity so with it added to the USB power output from the computer's it would probably overload the little USB stick. Even if it didn't fry it the electrical signals from the phone line would make some kind of background noise that the computer probably couldn't ignore.

You could always get a dual jack phone plate though. ;)

[account3r2]

"Phone lines carry a little bit of electricity..."

a little bit? phones carry around 60v dc idle and 120v ac ringing

[cparida]

enought 2 kill u!!!!

[electfire]

I nave never measured more than 10volts DC on a phone line - but then again that maybe something that varies by region.

[Toki Wartooth]

Yes, you are right it. It is more than a "little". My point still stands though. It's not the 5 watts necessary for a USB device.

[account3r2]

yeah, i guess so.

[junits15]

it should be fine, as long as the switches are spdt and assuming you dont want to use the phone and usb at the same time :)

[spikey011]

loved it!!

[boyrock375]

i really loved this instrucatable and decided to go all out...i had a cluster of conections in my wall so i disconected what i wasnt using and put a 500 gig hard drive in there....one of the small ones that runs off usb power and cover it all back up to look like normal =^.^=

[jacques3]

that is superb for hiding usb's and what would look real cool is an ethernet version and ethernet led torch sorry if it is mean but those above are superb ideas.

[Jamez Britton]

This is an absolutely brilliant way to hide stuff. Really good idea!

[Chadworkz]

I use that EXACT Zippo and that EXACT Jump-Drive...too cool (weird?)!

[tbird45039]

me three

[duct tape]

me four

[camocam]

why not just have the flash drive and use it normally but then place the flashdrive in it to hide it like get some sort of phone box that opens with a hinge in it

[dvondrasek]

or use that wasted end from the adapter

[fundamoboy]

wow it's impressing

[BakaTanuki]

Well I tried it, and can not get it to work. This is my second wiring job, and these tiny wires are a bit fragile. I think my wiring is just too messy, with little broken bits.

[BakaTanuki]

haHA! nevermind, I got it working. My theory was corrent, and after several failures and cutting the wire back more- I got it. My wire is thinner then what you show, and was tricky but my pocket knife skills won in the end. Great tutorial, sir, this will be a nice addition to my collection of secret data storage methods.

[bmw2go11]

You could have de-soldered the usb port off the flash drive, cut the 4 short cables existing on the phone jack and soldered them onto the remains of the drive.
That would cut out the need to buy a female usb cable, and transfer speeds would be a bit quicker.

[adrian.robb]

Care to explain why it would be faster? I don't see any reason apart from about 2" less cable, which would make a negligible difference.

[ShadowAssassin]

I love how I was reading on how to make a dead drop right before this :P This gave me the idea for new capabilties of dead drops... world domination just got one step closer :'D

[nickboy98]

GOOD WORK!!! that is the smartest thing i have seen in ages

[aly1995]

CAN ANYONE TELL ME WAT IS THE PURPOSE OF DIS THING.............=(

[Andrewlarson]

for storage but if you dont know you need not know or worry

[lombax989]

This is so cool it hurts!

[cyberguy91]

This makes me think of the wall plates that you can buy with the key "lock" switch on them. I think they were originally made to keep the kids off of the dial-up Internet without having the key. You could use one of those, and then you would have to have the key as well as the custom cable. lol.

[mginder]

flargman98,

did you connect the phone lines from the rest of your house to the wires on the jack mount? if you did that is why it fried it. im a telecommunications technician so i know that at your phone lines at idle you will have 56 volts dc and ringing 94 volts dc. your usb drive is rated for 5 volts... : ) this is not to be connected to the house. its just suppose to hide the drive, not give you remote storage

[account3r2]

idle 60dcv ringing 120acv

[flargman98]

this fried my flash drive

[severepb]

then you did something wrong...

great instructable, never would have thought of this. now all i need is a flash drive