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I wrote the below in another post on this topic: They never technically allowed it in the first place. Homebridge and Home Assistant used a popular Python lib
by nunez 3y ago
I wrote the below in another post on this topic:
They never technically allowed it in the first place.
Homebridge and Home Assistant used a popular Python library that reverse-engineered the MyQ API from the Android app. Many companies couldn't care less until abuse ramps up, but given that Chamberlain (Blackstone-owned) has gone into rent-seeking mode all of a sudden (or an incident happened that they won't disclose but prompted them to take a hard look at this), they decided to turn the Cloudflare Super Bot Fight stuff way the hell up on their OIDC token exchange endpoint (you can still request auth codes).
I decided to abandon trying to get MyQ to work with Home Assistant (it would have required hours of trying to figure out what combination of headers would have passed the CF checkpoint) and ended up getting a Meross Smart Opener. It was shockingly easy to install (plug the relay device into the same pinouts that your wall door opener uses) and works even better than MyQ (in that you won't get a weird "close error" that prevents you from operating your door that not even MyQ customer service will clear)
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I still use and recommend MyQ, however. The Amazon Key and Tesla integrations work great. If they had previously allowed API access but then rescinded it in favor of "providing a better experience" like Reddit is doing, then I'd feel differently. In this case, however, it feels like we took advantage of a backdoor for a long time and the club decided to finally put a lock on it. Shitty, but reasonable.
The next big one to watch out for is Ring.
Ring does not (will not?) support HomeKit. Lots of folks (myself included) have resorted to using Homebridge or Home Assistant as an alternative.
Both are using a library that reverse-engineered Ring's API (though Ring engineers supposedly contributed to it).
While the Homebridge plugin simply exposes device statuses and metrics and RTSP feeds for the cameras, Koush's scrypted NVR platform enables HomeKit Secure Recording for the cameras, which allows more adventurous users to skip paying for Ring Protect ($10/mo)
While I get a lot of value from Ring Protect and will continue to pay it, I really hope Ring doesn't decide to "improve the user experience" for us like Chamberlain did. I'd be really sad if that happens, since HomeKit is amazing and is much better than having a million apps on my phone that don't talk to each other.
- nfriedly 3y ago> Many companies couldn't care less until abuse ramps up I think "abuse" is the wrong word here. I'm just trying to automate my garage door. If there was a way to do that over my local network, without touching their servers, then they'd never see any traffic from me.
- rootusrootus 3y ago> Tesla integrations I sometimes wonder if Tesla nerfed the homelink functionality in the car just to encourage people to pay monthly for the MyQ software solution. I gave up trying to get my Model 3 to open/close the door automatically for me because the range is just abysmal. Went back to using a push button remote on the visor that will open the door from half a block away.
- nunez 3y agowouldn't be surprised. that said, I have the homelink integration, and MyQ works much better for us because of where our garage is relative to our driveway.