Monitoring a garage door away from home and wifi?
March 26, 2018 7:57 AM Subscribe
Is there any way to monitor an off-property garage door without wifi?
My husband rents a garage about a mile from our home and accesses the garage with a remote, several times a week. He's not an absent-minded guy and hasn't yet failed to close the garage when he leaves, but occasionally worries when he can't remember closing it. When this happens, he goes back to the garage to confirm that it's closed and it's a minor hassle.
I'd love to give him some sort of device that could solve this problem (it feels like it should be fix-able, right?) but I haven't found anything that works in this situation.
He doesn't have access to internet or wifi near the garage, so most "smart home" devices seem to be out, right? We live too far away for a simple remote to do the trick. Also, the garage is in an alleyway and outside of our actual neighborhood, so making friends with the neighbors (to either have them peer out the window or connect a device to their wi-fi) is not going to work either. There are plenty of electrical outlets inside the garage itself. He has a smart phone. Budget is flexible. Ability to monitor the door for peace of mind is the priority, ability to actually close it remotely is not. Any thoughts? Thanks in advance.
My husband rents a garage about a mile from our home and accesses the garage with a remote, several times a week. He's not an absent-minded guy and hasn't yet failed to close the garage when he leaves, but occasionally worries when he can't remember closing it. When this happens, he goes back to the garage to confirm that it's closed and it's a minor hassle.
I'd love to give him some sort of device that could solve this problem (it feels like it should be fix-able, right?) but I haven't found anything that works in this situation.
He doesn't have access to internet or wifi near the garage, so most "smart home" devices seem to be out, right? We live too far away for a simple remote to do the trick. Also, the garage is in an alleyway and outside of our actual neighborhood, so making friends with the neighbors (to either have them peer out the window or connect a device to their wi-fi) is not going to work either. There are plenty of electrical outlets inside the garage itself. He has a smart phone. Budget is flexible. Ability to monitor the door for peace of mind is the priority, ability to actually close it remotely is not. Any thoughts? Thanks in advance.
Similarly, there are apps that can turn Android phones into webcams, so you could try that.
You could also get a pay-as-you-go mobile hotspot and connect a regular wifi web cam or smart garage door controller to it.
If you're tech savvy enough (or have someone around who is), you might be able to rig something up with OpenGarage on a Raspberry Pi with a cellular dongle or something.
All of those are going to require a separate data plan though.
posted by natabat at 8:14 AM on March 26, 2018
You could also get a pay-as-you-go mobile hotspot and connect a regular wifi web cam or smart garage door controller to it.
If you're tech savvy enough (or have someone around who is), you might be able to rig something up with OpenGarage on a Raspberry Pi with a cellular dongle or something.
All of those are going to require a separate data plan though.
posted by natabat at 8:14 AM on March 26, 2018
Would a dashcam in his car be able to record him closing the garage door?
At least he wouldn't have to drive all the way there to check it out.
posted by jamjam at 9:12 AM on March 26, 2018 [6 favorites]
At least he wouldn't have to drive all the way there to check it out.
posted by jamjam at 9:12 AM on March 26, 2018 [6 favorites]
Best answer: Alternative answer: install a Magic Closer or other automatic garage door closer. They're inexpensive, easy to install, and will automatically close the door after it's been open five minutes (or fifteen, or whatever you set it to.)
No internet access required, eases the mind, and I wish I'd installed mine years ago.
posted by asperity at 9:29 AM on March 26, 2018 [4 favorites]
No internet access required, eases the mind, and I wish I'd installed mine years ago.
posted by asperity at 9:29 AM on March 26, 2018 [4 favorites]
One thing I should note about the Magic Closer: I delayed installing it because I was renting, but it would have been simple to remove at the end of the lease without leaving behind anything but some adhesive residue, at most. I assume its competitors are similarly uncomplicated.
posted by asperity at 12:15 PM on March 26, 2018
posted by asperity at 12:15 PM on March 26, 2018
Response by poster: Thanks for the great ideas! We're going to try the Magic Closer (actually, a similar product made by the door manufacturer) to start, but I appreciate the other suggestions as well, and will keep those in mind if we want to try something a little more heavyweight.
posted by figgy_finicky at 9:10 AM on March 29, 2018 [1 favorite]
posted by figgy_finicky at 9:10 AM on March 29, 2018 [1 favorite]
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If so: get a second-hand phone with a busted screen, sit it inside the garage on permanent charge with the camera facing the door, and set it up to answer Skype calls automatically.
Don't use a Samsung phone for this, because their charge controller is too stupid to switch itself off when the battery is full.
posted by flabdablet at 8:08 AM on March 26, 2018 [1 favorite]