Tag Archives: garage door opener code

A key point of entry into your home for thieves is the garage, and if you own an older type garage door opener, your home could be vulnerable.

The weakness of these units is the frequencies that operate them, using something called “fixed codes”. Fixed codes were initially developed years ago to combat a shared frequency problem. If a homeowner wanted to change the frequency, all he or she had to do was preset a digital code by switching eight to 12 “Dip Switches” on the receiver and transmitter. Whatever number sequence selected for the receiver (garage door motor) had to be the same for the transmitter (remote).

Multi-Code System

With this multi-code system, garages were secure again. Or were they?

Now a new problem developed. Burglars were scanning these frequencies with something called a “code grabber”. Criminals were able to defeat the multi-code system by grabbing codes from homeowners who were leaving their homes. There were basically two types of scanners. The first type scooped up the code when the homeowner pushed the garage door to either open or close it.

Once displayed on a screen, the criminal could immediately re-transmit the signal to open the door. The second type of scanner would [more]