Living in suburbia comes with its quirks, one of which is the detached garage—affectionately called a “carhole” by some. Each night, my routine involves a quick peek out the back window to ensure the garage door is securely closed, and our vehicles are safely tucked away. However, I realized that relying on my own eyes was both outdated and cumbersome.
To modernize my setup, I initially turned to a DIY Raspberry Pi solution, inspired by online instructions (though the original source is now offline, the Wayback Machine still remembers). This setup would send me an email every time the garage door opened or closed. While it wasn’t the most elegant solution, it allowed me to check the status of the garage door from the comfort of my home. Unfortunately, the harsh Texas summers, combined with a Power over Ethernet (PoE) hat that generated additional heat, eventually caused the Raspberry Pi to fail.
Back to square one, I was left peering out my window once again. Determined to find a more effective solution, I sought an upgrade that met two key criteria: compatibility with my existing garage door opener and integration with Apple’s HomeKit.
Initially, I explored the built-in automation features of my LiftMaster garage door opener, which falls under the Chamberlain brand. The recommended solution for HomeKit integration was Chamberlain’s MyQ system. However, I quickly dismissed this option. MyQ, unfortunately, proved to be a disappointment.
The system required an outdated accessory no longer supported by the company and pushed users towards an app that seemed more interested in collecting and monetizing personal data than providing value. Given the Chamberlain Group’s ownership by a private equity firm known for poor data stewardship, my skepticism was well-founded.
In the end, the search for a reliable, integrated solution for my garage door opener was a testament to the importance of modern, user-friendly technology in simplifying everyday tasks.
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