We all know that ESP32 is really strong and fun to mess around with as of now. Today, we are going to discover how ESP32 can be use with Wi-fi and web server.

WiFi functionality on ESP32

The ESP32 supports both Wi-Fi receive and transmit modes, allowing the device to communicate and transfer data with other devices wirelessly. With its Wi-Fi capabilities, the ESP32 can be used in various applications such as remote control, monitoring, and smart home automation systems.

They support a lot of Wi-fi modes includes: station mode, access point mode and station + accesspoint mode.

Let us explore one by one

Station (STA) mode on ESP32:

In this mode, the ESP32 connects to an existing Wi-Fi network, acting as a client device. The ESP32 can send and receive data over this network, similar to devices such as smartphones and laptops.

Here is how to set up station mode on ESP32

#include <WiFi.h> // Include the WiFi library
const char* ssid = "DTM E-SMART"; // WiFi network name
const char* password = "0919890938"; // WiFi password

void setup(){
Serial.begin(115200); 
WiFi.mode(WIFI_STA); // Set WiFi mode to STA (Station)
WiFi.begin(ssid, password); // Connect to the WiFi network
Serial.println("\\nConnecting to WiFi Network .."); 
while(WiFi.status() != WL_CONNECTED){
Serial.print("."); 
delay(100); 
}
Serial.println("\\nConnected to the WiFi network"); 
Serial.print("Local ESP32 IP: "); 
Serial.println(WiFi.localIP()); // Print the connected IP address
}

void loop(){
// Do Nothing
}

Access Point (AP) mode on ESP32:

The ESP32 creates its own Wi-Fi access point, allowing other devices to connect to it. This mode is useful when you want the ESP32 to act as a router or a mobile hotspot.

Here is how to set up access point mode on ESP32:

#include <WiFi.h> // Include the WiFi library
const char* ssid = "ESP32_AP"; // The name of the Wi-Fi network to broadcast
const char* password = "12345678"; // The Wi-Fi password

void setup() {
Serial.begin(115200); 
WiFi.mode(WIFI_OFF); // Turn off Wi-Fi before initialization
delay(100); 
WiFi.mode(WIFI_AP); // Set Wi-Fi mode to AP (Access Point)
delay(1000); 
if(!WiFi.softAP(ssid,password)){ // Start broadcasting the Wi-Fi network
Serial.println("Wifi AP fail!"); 
while(1); 
}
Serial.println("WiFi AP started!"); 
Serial.print("IP host:"); 
Serial.println(WiFi.softAPIP()); // Print the host IP address
}

void loop() {
// Do Nothing
}

Station + Access Point (STA+AP) on ESP32:

This is a combined mode that allows the ESP32 to both connect to an existing Wi-Fi network (as a client device) and create its own Wi-Fi access point. This mode offers high flexibility in communication and data transmission.

#include <WiFi.h> // Include the WiFi library
const char* ssid = "DTM E-SMART"; // WiFi access point name
const char* password = "0919890938"; // WiFi password

const char* ssidAP = "ESP32_AP"; // Name of the WiFi network to broadcast
const char* passwordAP = "12345678"; // Password for the broadcasted WiFi network

void setup(){
Serial.begin(115200); 

WiFi.mode(WIFI_AP_STA); // Set WiFi mode to STA+AP

WiFi.begin(ssid, password); // Connect to WiFi
Serial.println("\\nConnecting to WiFi Network .."); 
while(WiFi.status() != WL_CONNECTED){
Serial.print("."); 
delay(100); 
}
Serial.println("\\nConnected to the WiFi network"); 
Serial.print("Local ESP32 IP: "); 
Serial.println(WiFi.localIP()); // Print the IP address after connecting to WiFi

int channel = WiFi.channel(); // Read the connected WiFi channel
// Broadcast WiFi on the connected channel
if(!WiFi.softAP(ssidAP, passwordAP, channel)){
Serial.println("Soft AP creation failed."); 
while(1); 
}
Serial.println("\\nSuccessfully created soft AP"); 
Serial.print("AP IP address: "); 
Serial.println(WiFi.softAPIP()); // Print the host IP address
}

void loop(){
// Do Nothing
}