The internet hosts many quirky storage devices in all sorts of shapes and colors. But a user’s father is currently shocking with his setup. His method of backing up data follows a simple principle: more USB sticks equals more storage.
How does the father back up his data? In a Reddit post from 01.02.2026, the user master_JayCe posts a picture of ten USB sticks plugged into three different USB hubs, held together only by a rubber band. The post is titled: “My father’s data storage solution.”
The reason for this could be quite simple. After a USB hub apparently had no slots for additional USB sticks, another one was added, and after this place was again insufficient, possibly another extension was added. Unfortunately, the user did not post any further explanation, so we can only speculate.
The end result is a monster made of various USB sticks and hubs from different brands. The rubber band serves as a safety measure for the second hub, which would likely fall apart otherwise. But he is not the first user to come up with the idea of handling storage in an unusual way.
How USB sticks are used in another unusual way and why there are places where they protrude from walls, you will find out in the following video:
Speeds and power supply are not guaranteed
Why can the construct be problematic? USB ports cannot be infinitely split. The more devices using the same port, the less power and speed remain for each individual stick/hub.
A single USB standard port has only a limited bandwidth available. If this is split multiple times and several devices are connected, it can lead to significant problems:
If you exceed the power limit of the port, the speed of all connected devices will automatically throttle, or one device will be prioritized while others become barely usable.
If you exceed the specified power output of a port, it may occur that individual or all connected devices no longer function. Therefore, many USB hubs require an external power supply to ensure their function.
Additionally, the chance of data loss with such an unstable setup due to external influences or software issues is quite high. Even cloud storage is not protected from data loss, as a developer had to find out.
How does the community react? The comments on the post are filled with various opinions, but most are just shocked:
- MassiePersonality61 comments (via Reddit): “I don’t even know what I’m looking at right now!”
- Tructruc00 writes (via Reddit): “Actually, USB extenders with multiple ports internally use multiple connected hubs that are chained together. So it’s not that stupid.”
- hifi-nerd says (via Reddit): “A single SSD would likely cost less, have more capacity, be faster and more reliable …”
The user’s father has come up with an interesting, albeit inefficient solution. It would be more sensible to back up his data according to the 3-2-1 backup rule, which states that you should keep at least three copies of files on two different storage types, such as hard drives and cloud storage. Additionally, one copy should be stored offsite. A case that proves why this is a good idea is that of an entrepreneur: An AI ignores all precautions and autonomously deletes an entire developer’s work in seconds
