This tutorial shows how to set your ESP32-CAM as an Access Point (AP) for your web server projects. This way, you don’t need to be connected to a router to access the web server. We’ll program the ESP32-CAM using Arduino IDE.
Access Point vs Station
In previous ESP32-CAM web server projects, we connect the ESP32-CAM to a wireless router. In this configuration, we can access the ESP32-CAM board through the local network.
In this scenario, the router acts as an access point and the ESP32-CAM board is set as a station. So, you need to be connected to your router (local network) to control and access the ESP32-CAM web server.
In some cases, this might not be the best configuration (when you don’t have a router nearby). But if you set the ESP32-CAM boards as an access point (hotspot), you can be connected using any device with Wi-Fi capabilities without the need to connect to your router.
Basically, when you set the ESP32-CAM as an access point you create its own Wi-Fi network and nearby Wi-Fi devices (stations) can connect to it (like your smartphone or your computer).
Soft Access Point
Because the ESP32-CAM doesn’t connect further to a wired network (like your router), it is called soft-AP (soft Access Point).
This means that if you try to load libraries or use firmware from the internet, it will not work (like including JavaScript libraries). It also doesn’t work if you try to make HTTP requests to services on the internet (like sending an email with a photo, for example).
ESP32-CAM Video Web Server Access Point (AP)
In this tutorial, we’ll show you how to set the ESP32 as an access point. As an example, we’ll modify the CameraWebServer project that comes with the Arduino IDE. Then, you should be able to modify any of your projects to set the ESP32-CAM as an access point.
In your Arduino IDE, go to File > Examples > ESP32 > Camera > CameraWebServer.
Then, modify the code to act as an access point as we’ll explain.
Customize the SSID and Password
You need to define an SSID name and a password to access the ESP32-CAM access point. In this example we’re setting the ESP32 SSID name to ESP32-CAM Access Point. You can modify the name to whatever you want. The password is 123456789, but you can and should also modify it.
const char* ssid = "ESP32-CAM Access Point";const char* password = "123456789";Setting the ESP32-CAM as an Access Point
In the setup(), remove the following lines (set the ESP32 as a station):
WiFi.begin(ssid, password);while (WiFi.status() != WL_CONNECTED) { delay(500); Serial.print(".");}Serial.println("");Serial.println("WiFi connected");And add the following to set the ESP32 as an access point using the softAP() method:
WiFi.softAP(ssid, password);There are also other optional parameters you can pass to the softAP() method. Here’s all the parameters:
softAP(const char* ssid, const char* password, int channel, int ssid_hidden, int max_connection)- ssid (defined earlier): maximum of 63 characters;
- password (defined earlier): minimum of 8 characters; set to NULL if you want the access point to be open
- channel: Wi-Fi channel number (1-13)
- ssid_hidden: (0 = broadcast SSID, 1 = hide SSID)
- max_connection: maximum simultaneous connected clients (1-4)
This is what you need to include in your web server sketches to set the ESP32-CAM as an access point.
You can download the complete code here.
Connecting to the ESP32-CAM Access Point
After uploading the code, you can connect to the ESP32-CAM access point to access the web server. You don’t need to connect to a router.
In your smartphone open your Wi-Fi settings and tap the ESP32-CAM Access Point network:
Type the password you’ve defined earlier in the code.
Open your web browser and type the IP address 192.168.4.1. The video streaming web server page should load:
To connect to the access point on your computer, go to the Network and Internet Settings, select the “ESP32-Access-Point“ and insert the password.
And it’s done! Now, to access the ESP32-CAM web server page, you just need to type the IP address 192.168.4.1 in your browser.
Wrapping Up
In this tutorial you’ve learned how to set the ESP32-CAM as an access point in your web server sketches. When the ESP32 is set as an access point, devices with Wi Fi capabilities like your smartphone can connect directly to the ESP without the need to connect to a router.
If you like the ESP32-CAM, take a look at our resources:
- Build ESP32-CAM Projects using Arduino IDE eBook
- More ESP32-CAM Projects and Tutorials…
Thanks for reading.
