Meross Sensible Wi-Fi Storage Door Opener (MSG200HK): Introduction

• Suitable with Alexa, Google House, HomeKit and SmartThings
• Works with hundreds of various storage door openers
• Makes use of 2.4GHz Wi-Fi

Ever because the Chamberlain Group began killing off HomeKit, Alexa and Google Assistant entry to the MyQ ecosystem, after which made the choice to forestall third-party apps utilizing the APIs thus nuking the likes of House Assistant, I’ve been looking out for a gadget to make my storage door a bit of smarter.

Step ahead the Meross MSG200HK, a sub-$70 sensible storage door opener that performs properly with all the most important sensible residence techniques.

The Meross MSG200HK, additionally known as the Meross Collie, is appropriate greater than 200 storage door manufacturers, and might be put in on over 1,600 totally different fashions.

I’ve put in it on a fairly-recent Chamberlain Liftmaster Evolution LM80EVF, however the Chinese language model tells us it should even work with historic storage openers from the Nineties.

So it’s low-cost and it’s broadly appropriate, however is it any good?

Learn my Meross Sensible Wi-Fi Storage Door Opener MSG200HK overview to search out out.

Design and elements

• Can management 3 totally different storage doorways
• Powered by Micro-USB
• Open and closed sensor included

I discussed within the intro that, at lower than £70 / $70, the MSG200HK is a cut-price sensible storage door opener however Meross does even have a few cheaper choices.

There’s really a non-HK MSG200 and, you guessed it, meaning no HomeKit; however you continue to get Google Assistant, Alexa and SmartThings management. That’ll price you round $40.

The MSG100 mannequin really is available in at lower than $30, or simply underneath $40 in case you want HomeKit entry.

Nevertheless, the MSG200HK is probably the most full mannequin from the Chengdu-based sensible residence specialist. Not solely does it help all the most important platforms however a single machine can really management three totally different storage doorways.

It additionally boasts an exterior antenna, which the MSG100 fashions wouldn’t have, so it could actually higher obtain these 2.4GHz Wi-Fi indicators.

It really seems like a mini Wi-Fi router from the early 2000s, so not precisely a lovely machine however, given it is going to be residing in you storage and never your lounge, that’s probably not a problem.

As talked about, the MSG200HK is able to controlling three storage doorways. Within the field you really get wires to do two doorways although, not three – it’s round $15 / £10 for the additional wire in case you do must get that third door management arrange.

The wires merely slot into the ports on the again of the machine. Additionally on the again is the Micro-USB port for powering the machine. You’ll get an influence block within the field however I’ve had no points having the Meross powered by way of a direct USB-A port on a gang plug in my storage.

The very first thing it’s good to do earlier than shopping for, not to mention putting in, the Meross MSG200HK is to verify your storage door opener is appropriate. You are able to do this utilizing the Meross on-line portal however the Meross app can even be sure that it is aware of what mannequin you’re making an attempt to put in with in the course of the setup step.

Each strategies discuss you thru checking compatibility utilizing useful pictures and also you’ll be fairly assured that your present opener is supported (or not) following this course of.

As soon as you’re positive you’re able to go forward, the app talks you thru all the crucial steps. The app itself is fairly helpful nevertheless it does get a bit confused half means via the place, upon getting paired the machine itself, it then talks you thru some bits you’ve already executed.

The paper handbook within the field additionally barely contradicts what the app says however, regardless of these barely complicated combined messages, it’s really tremendous simple to get the MSG200HK up and operating.

Out of the router-like Meross MSG200HK unit itself comes two wires; the primary connects to your present storage door opener, as per the set up directions, and the second terminates with one half of the open/closed sensor.

In my case, it was only a case of inserting the wires into the 1 and a pair of slots on my Liftmaster and I used to be assured by the app that I didn’t want to fret about what wire went in what slot.

These wires clearly give the message to your present opener to hold out an open or shut motion, primarily based on the ‘router’ receiving a command.

You will have to get a bit artistic along with your wire hiding; nevertheless it’s only a storage on the finish of the day, nobody is looking for prizes for neatness.

The excellent news is that these wires are tremendous lengthy, round 5m every, so you shouldn’t have any points getting your unit wired as much as your present opener and in a spot you need it to stay, and still have the open/shut sensor on the by the place the storage door closes.

On the again of my present storage door opener, I had a bit of door panel to cover the wires and buttons. However I couldn’t put this again in place with the extra Meross wires, so I needed to get the drill out to make a bit of gap:

Throughout the set up course of, it really asks you ways most of the ports you need to activate. I simply selected one as I simply have a single storage door.

Nevertheless, I discovered that by the point I had accomplished the set up course of, all three ports have been energetic.

It really provides the machine to HomeKit as a bridge after which provides three separate storage door ‘gadgets’. The excellent news is that, when you go into the Meross app and deactivate the unneeded ports, it ‘deletes’ the extra ‘gadgets’.

These deletions are additionally synced with the likes of HomeKit and Alexa, so that you gained’t muddle up your machine record with unneeded gadgets.

The open and shut sensor is a bit of little bit of a faff to put in, purely because it’s a wired machine so that you’re going to must snake and safe the lengthy wire in the direction of your door.

When you’ve received it in place although, it really works nicely – it’s purely a magnetic sensor to supply a stay standing to the linked apps and platforms.

The sensor is only for standing. It doesn’t decide when the storage door is closed; the unique settings out of your installer are saved.

In use

• Previous open/shut strategies will nonetheless work
• Voice, app and Watch choices all obtainable
• A number of safety features

When you’re all up and operating, your regular storage open strategies – suppose keyfobs, wall panels and the like – will all nonetheless work; the MSG200HK doesn’t work on their frequency.

As a substitute, the method is that the router-esque machine receives a Wi-Fi sign – whether or not that’s from a voice command, a faucet of a button in an app, a time-specific routine, and so forth – and relays that message to your previous storage door opener over that wire you’ve caught within the again.

That’s mainly the way it makes a dumb factor sensible.

Relying on what sensible residence system(s) you employ, you’ll have a couple of totally different choices for controlling your linked storage door.

I arrange the MSG200HK via HomeKit however, as a result of I already use Meross gadgets (corresponding to the superb Meross Sensible Wi-Fi Plug Mini) with Alexa, it synced into Amazon’s sensible residence system for me too.

What that meant was that I had quite a few methods to manage the opening and shutting of the storage door – together with voice management with Siri or Alexa; with safety measures corresponding to pin codes or Face ID wanted to open, for apparent safety causes.

Nevertheless it additionally meant that I used to be getting notifications left, proper and heart relating to the open/shut standing of the door. That’s not Meross’ fault, however I did have to leap into the related apps to find out what notifications I needed precisely.

I discovered HomeKit was one of the best for letting me know in regards to the storage door being left open in a single day, however I additionally used the native Meross app to alert me if the storage door was left open, at anytime of day, for greater than half-hour. Within the app, Meross calls this warning the ‘Time beyond regulation’ reminder.

The MSG200HK additionally syncs up with Apple CarPlay, supplying you with a useful tile in your automotive’s dashboard so you possibly can simply open and shut your storage door from inside your car.

The addition of the MSG200HK to my storage door has additionally meant that I can go away my home keys at residence solely because the connecting door between my storage and utility room has a Yale Conexis L2 sensible lock put in, so I’m capable of open each doorways utilizing my cellphone.

Or, certainly, my Apple Watch… which means I don’t must even take my cellphone out with me, ought to I’m going operating. On the Apple Watch Meross app, it’s a must to manually choose to sync the MSG200HK to the Watch from the iPhone app.

The system isn’t with out its quirks. One problem I’ve is that my Apple House standing typically says ‘Obstructed’ when it’s closed; I feel that is after I’ve manually closed the storage door utilizing an previous keyfob after initially opening by way of HomeKit.

One other downside is that the Meross app saved telling me that it was having bother closing the door, when it wasn’t – the door was closing tremendous.

I discovered tinkering with the open/shut door timings sorted this. As talked about, the open/shut sensor is only used for a standing so it doesn’t cease or begin the storage door opener motor, so it must find out how lengthy your door takes to open and shut.

Within the Meross app you’ll be capable to mess around with quite a lot of settings, like having the door routinely shut at sure occasions and it’s also possible to set an audible warning alarm for when the storage door is closing too, which I discovered tremendous annoying.

Ultimate ideas

The Meross MSG200HK is probably not fairly, and also you’ll have over 10m of wires to cope with for only a single storage door, however as soon as it’s up and operating you’ll have a plethora of recent ‘sensible’ choices in your storage door.

That doesn’t simply imply open and shutting by way of an app but additionally having further safety measures in place utilizing routines and automations.

How we take a look at

Once we publish our evaluations, you possibly can relaxation assured that they’re the results of “residing with” long run checks.

Sensible gadgets stay inside an ecosystem, or a variety of merchandise that – supposedly – all work in concord. And they’re designed to supply a variety of various choices. Subsequently, it’s unimaginable to make use of a tool for per week and ship a verdict.

As a result of we’re testing sensible residence equipment all day, on a regular basis, we all know what issues and the way a selected sensible cleansing machine compares to options that you may additionally be contemplating.

Our evaluations are complete, goal and truthful and, in fact, we’re by no means paid on to overview a tool.

Learn our information on how we take a look at to be taught extra.

FAQs

Meross Sensible Wi-Fi Storage Door Opener MSG200HK: Specs