Re: Using wifi card to operate garage door

["wkearney99" <wkearney99@xxxxxxxxxxx>]

> I was wondering if there is any possibility to operate my garage door
> using my laptop (using it's wifi card)
>
> I already know that the "standard" frequency are different, but, you
> never know...

Not even close to the same frequencies.  Even if they were close, how
readily would you want J.Random Script-Kiddie to be able to hack your garage
door opener?  No thanks.

What you could do is use a device like an X-10, Radio RA or other contact
closure device.  Have that device act as a button switch to open/close the
contact switch on your garage door.  There's no way to directly get to them
from the WiFi-equipped laptop so you'd have to either add an X-10 wireless
firecracker serial device to the laptopn OR use a desktop PC to make the
connections via serial and connect to the PC from the laptop.

There are developments underway with systems like Control4 that /might/
allow for more direct connection from the wireless laptop to a wireless
ethernet equipped switch.  But I'm not sure any 'contact closure' devices
are yet shipping for this purporse.

A generic relay controller with wired ethernet might make it possible.  But
none currently include the sort of 'user friendly' interface for easy
operation.  Not to mention they're usually not cheap.

In short, the expected market for such a device is pretty small, tiny enough
that nobody's bothering to expend the considerable effort to make it work.
Not enough customers to pay back the costs to do it.  At least not from
anything beyond the mere hobbyist or very high-end home perspective.