A Smart Garage
We are slowly turning our house into a smart home. Not because we need to be on the leading edge of technology. It’s because we travel.
Our newest smart home addition: the Chamberlain Group (CGI) mQ Smart Garage Hub and myQ smartphone app. In future posts I’ll expand on all of the benefits to being able to remotely control our garage door, but we did it primarily for two main reasons: 1) We can have Amazon leave Prime packages securely in our garage (through Key by Amazon); 2) We can open our garage remotely for pet sitters or anyone else who needs access to the house when we’re away, or give others access on their own mobile devices. Check out this link to order your myQ Smart Garage Hub.
First up, though, how to install the myQ Smart Garage Hub. Spoiler: it’s extremely easy.
What You Need
This is what I required to install the myQ Smart Garage Hub:
- A garage and garage door opener (we had an existing opener, but CGI also makes Chamberlain and LiftMaster brand garage door openers with myQ technology built in. The Smart Garage Hub can add myQ-connectivity to other leading brands of garage door openers).
- A smart phone
- Wifi in the garage (we have between 1 and 2 bars and it’s sufficient) and your wifi password
- A ladder
- A screwdriver and a drill
Step 1
Open the myQ Smart Garage Hub packaging.
Step 2
Download and open the free myQ App wherever you download apps.
Step 3
Launch the myQ App. The app will lead you through the rest of the process, but I’ll detail it here as well.
Step 4
Plug in the included Wi-Fi Hub and connect it to your home network via the app.
Step 5
Remove the plastic tab from the door sensor and test the door sensor by pressing and releasing the lower button (beneath the myQ circle). Pair the door sensor to the Smart Garage hub via the app.
Step 6
Place the door sensor onto the top panel of your garage door using the velcro/adhesive strips.
Step 7
Pair the myQ Smart Garage Hub to the door opener. I moved the car out of the garage, got a ladder and (following the app’s instructions) pressed the “program/learn” button on our existing garage door opener. It took two tries, but the opener and hub connected. I was then able to test the system and use my phone to open the door. It worked perfectly.
Step 8
Mount the myQ Smart Garage Hub on the ceiling near the opener (that’s what the screwdriver and drill are for). Detailed instructions are here.
Step 9
Download the Key by Amazon app and keep following the myQ app’s instructions to link myQ with Amazon Key. Once your accounts are linked, all you have to do is shop on Amazon normally and then select “in-garage delivery” at check out. Note that Amazon Key delivery is currently available in 50 cities/areas in the US, so it may not be an option where you live quite yet. You can check your eligibility here.
In the Field
After installation, I used the myQ App several times to open and close the garage door. I had my daughter use it to open the garage as we were approaching the house, but far enough away that our standard opener wouldn’t have worked. I purposely left the garage door open as I was driving to the airport and then closed it remotely several minutes later (because I always drive away from the house and wonder if I closed the door). And while hiking in New Mexico, just for the heck of it and with a fairly weak cell signal, I opened and closed the door. But it’s not just a gadget and I love that we now have it in place to make our future travels easier.
Questions?
My installation was extremely easy. If I wasn’t taking extra time to document every step, and if our cat hadn’t brought a bird into the house in the middle of it, I’m fairly confident I could have completed all steps in under 20 minutes. If there is something that’s not clear above, please let me know. To learn more about myQ Smart Garage Hub, check out this link.
Note: This post was sponsored by Chamberlain Group (CGI). Everything is based on my experience.
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Annoyed to discover that this doesn’t work in Europe. Not mentioned anywhere on the Chamberlain site. Money wasted.
Definitely annoying. What’s the issue – power? Different frequencies? Hopefully your comment here will serve to warn others.
I bought a 1/2 hp smart q opener at an auction it didn’t have the opener for the car or garage I am wondering if we can buy them directly from your website
I don’t sell anything. MyQ may? Their website is: https://www.myq.com/smart-garage-control.
Hi, I installed mine but can’t find answers to a couple things. 1. I put my hub on the wall instead of the ceiling (too high) seems to work find but wondering if it’s worse, 2. I put the sensor on the 2nd to top hing of the garage…not sure if top is better and I there seems to be no rhyme or reason to sometimes the hub will flash a light and /or make a noise. Sometime is closes instantly and sometimes it takes 15 seconds…any reasoning for that? tia!
I’ve played with our hub on the ceiling, on the wall and even inside our house near the garage and it seems to work fine from any of those. Wifi strength seems to be more important than the actual location.
I would think the sensor would be fine anywhere on the door? We have some issues as well – sometimes Amazon is unable to close our door for some reason when they had just opened it easily – but I don’t think that’s an issue of perfect hub or sensor placement, given that I installed the sensor exactly where they said to. I could be wrong. Just overall the system seems to be pretty flexible, and myQ now recommends wall installation instead of ceiling installation anyway.