How to Control ESP-01 thru a Router

Picture of the popular ESP-01 ESP8266 module which can be controlled thru a wireless router and hence via the internet — ESP-01 ESP8266 Module

The ESP-01 ESP8266 module can be controlled directly, without using any WiFi router at all. To extend the range of the ESP-01 control, it can be connected and controlled thru a wireless router. In this way, the ESP-01 can even be accessed anywhere in world where there is an Internet connection.

How to Control ESP-01 ESP8266 Module Directly Using AP Mode

ESP-01 Station and Access Point Mode

The ESP-01 module or any ESP8266-based microcontroller may be operated in three different modes. It can be used as a station (STA mode), an access point (AP mode), or both (STA + AP mode). In order to control the ESP-01 module thru the router, we will put the ESP-01 in station mode (STA mode).

ESP-01 Programmer-Flasher

The ESP-01 module, being the smallest and the cheapest of all ESP8266 modules, does not have a built-in programmer or flasher. It can be flashed using a Programmer adapter, an Arduino board or may be wired with a USB to TTL Converter to make a programmer-flasher.

A picture of an ESP-01 programmer adapter used for programming the ESP-01 and control it thru the router — ESP-01 Programmer Adapter

An image of Arduino Uno development board that can be used to program or flash the ESP-01 in order to control the ESP-01 thru a router — Arduino Uno that can be used as ESP-01 Programmer/Flasher

Another device that can program or flash the ESP-01 to control it thru the router — USB to TTL Converter

Schematic diagram of an ESP-01 Programmer/Flasher using a USB to TTL converter — Schematic Diagram of an ESP-01 Programmer/Flasher Using a USB to TTL Converter

The preferred way of flashing an ESP-01 during testing and breadboarding is to use a USB to TTL converter with a two (2) pushbutton and three (3) 10K ohm resistors. In this way, additional devices can be added later on without changing the circuit. To learn how to use this programmer/flasher, please see: How to Program ESP-01 with Arduino IDE.

For example, using the schematic diagram above, you can add an LED on both the GPIO-0 and GPIO-2 without any changes. Just connect a current limiting resistor in series with the LED and connect it directly to GPIO-0 or GPIO-2 terminal and the ground.

How To Compute Resistor Value for LED

Also later on, when you progress to experimenting with LCD display (Liquid Crystal Display) and Real Time Clock (RTC) modules, both devices and can be connected directly to GPIO-0 and GPIO-2 acting as SDA and SCL terminals for I2C communication. No changes at all on the programmer/flasher circuitry!!!

The Programmer/Flasher with and RTC and LCD modules

Learn How to Create LCD Clocks with ESP-01 ESP8266 module
ESP-01 with RTC and LCD Display
ESP-01 NTP Clock with LCD Display

Arduino IDE Sketch to Control ESP-01 thru a Router

Version 1 – Does not Use ESP8266Webserver Library

/* 
 * esp01-stamode-noweb-library.ino
 *  
 * Put ESP-01 ESP8266 Module into Station mode, connect to a 
 * router and provide a web server for turning a LED on and off
 * 
 * Written by www.cyberblogspot.com, 22February2020
 * Based on Library Examples
 * 
 * Sketch Resources
 * Program storage: 273160 bytes (28%)
 * Global variables: 27356 bytes (33%)
 * 
 */
#include <ESP8266WiFi.h>
/* Set to SSID and password of router */
const char *ssid = "ssid";
const char *password = "password";
int ledPin = 2; // GPIO2 of ESP8266 available on ESP-01
WiFiServer server(80); // server port 80
void setup() {
  Serial.begin(115200);
  
  Serial.println();
  Serial.println("Starting ESP-01 Station Mode...");
  
  WiFi.mode(WIFI_STA);
  WiFi.begin(ssid, password);
  Serial.println("Connecting to WiFi Router");
  while (WiFi.status() != WL_CONNECTED) {
    delay(500);
    Serial.print(".");
  }
  Serial.println();
  Serial.print("IP address: ");
  Serial.println(WiFi.localIP());
  
  server.begin();
  Serial.println("ESP-01 Web Server ready...");
  Serial.println();
  pinMode(ledPin, OUTPUT);
  digitalWrite(ledPin, LOW);
}
void loop() {
  
  // Check if a client has connected
  
  WiFiClient client = server.available();
  if (!client) {
    return;
  }   
  
  // Wait until the client sends some data
  
  Serial.println("new client");
  while(!client.available()){
    delay(1);
  }
  // Read the first line of GET containing request command
  
  String request = client.readStringUntil('\r');
  Serial.println(request);
  client.flush();
  // Check command string and perform request
  int value = LOW;
  
  if (request.indexOf("/gpio/0") != -1){
    digitalWrite(ledPin, LOW);
    value = LOW;
  }
  
  if (request.indexOf("/gpio/1") != -1) {
    digitalWrite(ledPin, HIGH);
    value = HIGH;
  } 
  
  // Server Response
  // Header
  client.println("HTTP/1.1 200 OK");
  client.println("Content-Type: text/html");
  client.println(""); // header end marker
  // Content
  client.println("<!DOCTYPE HTML>");
  client.println("<html>");
  client.print("LED STATUS: ");
  if(value == HIGH)
    client.print("ON");   
  else 
    client.print("OFF");
  client.println("<br><br>");
  client.println("<a href=\"/gpio/1\">TURN ON LED</a><br>");
  client.println("<a href=\"/gpio/0\">TURN OFF LED</a><br>");
  client.println("</html>"); // content end
  // End of Response
  delay(1);
  Serial.println("Client disconnected");
  Serial.println("");
}

* esp01-stamode-noweb-library.ino

* Put ESP-01 ESP8266 Module into Station mode, connect to a

* router and provide a web server for turning a LED on and off

* Written by www.cyberblogspot.com, 22February2020

* Based on Library Examples

* Sketch Resources

* Program storage: 273160 bytes (28%)

* Global variables: 27356 bytes (33%)

#include <ESP8266WiFi.h>

/* Set to SSID and password of router */

const char *ssid = "ssid";

const char *password = "password";

int ledPin = 2; // GPIO2 of ESP8266 available on ESP-01

WiFiServer server(80); // server port 80

void setup() {

Serial.begin(115200);

Serial.println();

Serial.println("Starting ESP-01 Station Mode...");

WiFi.mode(WIFI_STA);

WiFi.begin(ssid, password);

Serial.println("Connecting to WiFi Router");

while (WiFi.status() != WL_CONNECTED) {

delay(500);

Serial.print(".");

}

Serial.println();

Serial.print("IP address: ");

Serial.println(WiFi.localIP());

server.begin();

Serial.println("ESP-01 Web Server ready...");

Serial.println();

pinMode(ledPin, OUTPUT);

digitalWrite(ledPin, LOW);

}

void loop() {

// Check if a client has connected

WiFiClient client = server.available();

if (!client) {

return;

}

// Wait until the client sends some data

Serial.println("new client");

while(!client.available()){

delay(1);

}

// Read the first line of GET containing request command

String request = client.readStringUntil('\r');

Serial.println(request);

client.flush();

// Check command string and perform request

int value = LOW;

if (request.indexOf("/gpio/0") != -1){

digitalWrite(ledPin, LOW);

value = LOW;

}

if (request.indexOf("/gpio/1") != -1) {

digitalWrite(ledPin, HIGH);

value = HIGH;

}

// Server Response

// Header

client.println("HTTP/1.1 200 OK");

client.println("Content-Type: text/html");

client.println(""); // header end marker

// Content

client.println("<!DOCTYPE HTML>");

client.println("<html>");

client.print("LED STATUS: ");

if(value == HIGH)

client.print("ON");

else

client.print("OFF");

client.println(" ");

client.println("<a href=\"/gpio/1\">TURN ON LED</a> ");

client.println("<a href=\"/gpio/0\">TURN OFF LED</a> ");

client.println("</html>"); // content end

// End of Response

delay(1);

Serial.println("Client disconnected");

Serial.println("");

}

Version 2 – Using ESP8266Webserver Library

/*
 * esp01-stamode-webserver-library.ino
 * 
 * Written by www.cyberblogspot.com
 * 22February2020
 * 
 */
 
#include <ESP8266WiFi.h>
#include <WiFiClient.h>
#include <ESP8266WebServer.h>
//SSID and Password to your ESP Access Point
const char* ssid = "ssid";
const char* password = "password";
int ledPin = 2;
ESP8266WebServer server(80); //Server on port 80
void handleRoot() {
  String s = "<html>\
  LED STATUS: <br><br>\
  <a href=\"/gpio/1\">TURN ON LED</a><br>\
  <a href=\"/gpio/0\">TURN OFF LED</a><br>\
  </html>";
    
  server.send(200, "text/html", s);
}
void handleGpioOn() {
  String s = "<html>\
  LED STATUS: ON<br><br>\
  <a href=\"/gpio/1\">TURN ON LED</a><br>\
  <a href=\"/gpio/0\">TURN OFF LED</a><br>\
  </html>";
  
  server.send(200, "text/html", s);
  digitalWrite(2, HIGH);
}
void handleGpioOff() {
  String s = "<html>\
  LED STATUS: OFF<br><br>\
  <a href=\"/gpio/1\">TURN ON LED</a><br>\
  <a href=\"/gpio/0\">TURN OFF LED</a><br>\
  </html>";
  server.send(200, "text/html", s);
  digitalWrite(2, LOW);
}
void setup(void){
  Serial.begin(115200);
  
  Serial.println("");
  Serial.println("Starting ESP-01 Station Mode...");
  
  WiFi.mode(WIFI_STA);          
  WiFi.begin(ssid, password);
  Serial.println("Connecting to WiFi Router");
  while (WiFi.status() != WL_CONNECTED) {
    delay(500);
    Serial.print(".");
  }
  
  Serial.println();
  Serial.print("IP Address: ");
  Serial.println(WiFi.localIP());
 
  server.on("/", handleRoot);     
  server.on("/gpio/0", handleGpioOff);
  server.on("/gpio/1", handleGpioOn);
  server.begin();                 
  Serial.println("ESP-01 Web Server ready...");
  Serial.println();
  pinMode(2, OUTPUT);
  digitalWrite(ledPin, LOW);
}
void loop(void){
  server.handleClient();          //Handle client requests
}

* esp01-stamode-webserver-library.ino

* Written by www.cyberblogspot.com

* 22February2020

#include <ESP8266WiFi.h>

#include <WiFiClient.h>

#include <ESP8266WebServer.h>

//SSID and Password to your ESP Access Point

const char* ssid = "ssid";

const char* password = "password";

int ledPin = 2;

ESP8266WebServer server(80); //Server on port 80

void handleRoot() {

String s = "<html>\

LED STATUS: \

<a href=\"/gpio/1\">TURN ON LED</a> \

<a href=\"/gpio/0\">TURN OFF LED</a> \

</html>";

server.send(200, "text/html", s);

}

void handleGpioOn() {

String s = "<html>\

LED STATUS: ON \

<a href=\"/gpio/1\">TURN ON LED</a> \

<a href=\"/gpio/0\">TURN OFF LED</a> \

</html>";

server.send(200, "text/html", s);

digitalWrite(2, HIGH);

}

void handleGpioOff() {

String s = "<html>\

LED STATUS: OFF \

<a href=\"/gpio/1\">TURN ON LED</a> \

<a href=\"/gpio/0\">TURN OFF LED</a> \

</html>";

server.send(200, "text/html", s);

digitalWrite(2, LOW);

}

void setup(void){

Serial.begin(115200);

Serial.println("");

Serial.println("Starting ESP-01 Station Mode...");

WiFi.mode(WIFI_STA);

WiFi.begin(ssid, password);

Serial.println("Connecting to WiFi Router");

while (WiFi.status() != WL_CONNECTED) {

delay(500);

Serial.print(".");

}

Serial.println();

Serial.print("IP Address: ");

Serial.println(WiFi.localIP());

server.on("/", handleRoot);

server.on("/gpio/0", handleGpioOff);

server.on("/gpio/1", handleGpioOn);

server.begin();

Serial.println("ESP-01 Web Server ready...");

Serial.println();

pinMode(2, OUTPUT);

digitalWrite(ledPin, LOW);

}

void loop(void){

server.handleClient(); //Handle client requests

}

References on How to Control ESP-01 thru a Router

ESP8266 on Wikipedia
ESP-01 AI–Thinker Website
ESP-01 ESP8266 Module Espressif Website
A Beginner’s Guide to the ESP8266

How to Control ESP-01 thru a Router

ESP-01 Station and Access Point Mode

ESP-01 Programmer-Flasher

Arduino IDE Sketch to Control ESP-01 thru a Router

Version 1 – Does not Use ESP8266Webserver Library

Version 2 – Using ESP8266Webserver Library

Related Articles on How to Control ESP-01 thru a Router

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References on How to Control ESP-01 thru a Router

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