I wonder if, when cars with Homelink are brought in for servicing, unscrupulous techs can capture the Homelink signal to the garage door opener, easily get our addresses, then at an opportune moment, burglarize our homes. Or maybe they could sell the a garage door opener, loaded with our code, along with our address to
some evil-doer.
Holy Felony Batman!

 

 

Just because you're paranoid doesn't mean they're not out to get you.

 

lock the door from your garage to your house

 

Here's the link.

http://www.microchip.com/stellent/id...param=en013199


This has been around for a long time. That's why now you use an encrypted rolling code generator. Still not perfect, but better.

 

Eventhough it's integrated into your car, the homelink system is not very different from a standard garage door opener. It just looks different because it's buttons are integrated into your car. It just sends IR signals just like any typical garage door opener.

The Homelink is susceptible to the same vulnerabilities as any other standard garage door opener. I wouldn't be extra paranoid about this, because going by your theory, a tech would be able to do the same type of thing with just a regular garage door opener that many people just leave on their visor.

Many of the garage door openers have encrypted rolling code technology. This uses a special unique key in your opener to help generate the necessary code to open the door. For those that struggled with the homelink setup, it is probably a good thing because your garage opener most likely has this rolling code technology.

I would be careful about parking my car in front of the house/on the street if you have homelink though. Someone could just break your window and open your garage.
I would lock the door between the house and garage just as a precaution though, just like X mentions above.

 

Well, they're RF, not IR, but yeah.

A much better way to do it is to park in a plumber's van and record the RF signals when people come home from or leave for work in a neighborhood, for later playback. This is why practically no cars got stolen with code grabbers - they were all used by burglars.

 

LOL! Man, you are paranoid. You know, the people who work at the bank is emptying out your bank account now. Oh wait, do you put money in the bank?

 

Thanks for the correction Eld. That makes sense. RF can penetrate through walls/objects while IR needs clear line of site.

I love the RF remote I have at my house. I like to turn the channel from another room while my friends are watching tv. They all start getting paranoid and looking around

 

I think it is a valid concern especially in area where you have hi-tech theives.

It is similar to identity theft and online thefts...As long as you are not victim, you will think it is paranoia but these are real crimes and lot of people are victimized every year.

 

That is true. Come to think of it, I shred my bills after I paid them.

 

I once left my wife's new Avalon XLS at a service station for state inspection.

When I returned 2 hrs later, they said it was done but they couldn't find the key.

I gotta admit, I'm a little paranoid about my cars too, so I raised holy #$%& with the station manager until they agreed to pay ($250) to have the car rekeyed. My fear was that one of the guys in the shop could pocket the key, look up my address (on the service slip), and drop by later while I slept to pick up "their" new ride.

I kinda felt like a jackass, but like I said, I'm paranoid.

Y'all think I handled it the right way? Should I have let it slide?

 

No way dude. If your babysitter lost your house keys, would you get new locks? Damn right you would. To not would be just plain stupid.

 

I shred mine before I pay them ........

 

^^

I do shred my bills too. If I'm not buy a shredder I rip up areas that show my address and/or account info. I'm also very careful about any website that a purchase items from using my credit card. I'm guess I'm paranoid when it comes to identify theft too.

 

No! I keep my money in a mayonnaise jar in my garage. It's safe there from the whims of the market.
;o)

 

Going along with this; my mother-in-law lives in a gated community. She has a bar code in the back side window of her car, to allow her to gain entrance. I wonder if i could take a phtograph of it, make the barcode the correct size, and ZIP, I'm in.
Then I could use the garage door opener I purchased from that tech and.......;o)

 

One of the reasons why you lock the door to the house that's inside the garage.

Your garage door is like a fence.

 

i can't even use homelink...no garage. tried to get a couple friends let me program their garage codes onto my car for fun but no takers haha guess they don't trust me