In the age of the internet, you’re missing out if you can’t connect to the world wide web. That’s why our team here at Vilros loves this project inspired by Jefferson Paredes that will show you how to hook your Arduino UNO up to WiFi.

In this project, you’ll be able to get your Arduino connected online using the ESP8266 WiFi module. Once it’s connected you will be able to upload, send, and receive data, just by sending a string message from your smartphone.

Here are the parts you’ll need:
• Arduino UNO + Genuino UNO
• Breakout Board, ESP8266 WiFi Module
• 10K ohm resistor (2)
• 1K ohm resistor (2)
• Jumper Wires

1. Upload the Sample Sketch

First, you’ll need to upload Jefferson’s sample Arduino sketch. You can find the updated version here.

(If you need help uploading a sketch to Arduino, check out this tutorial.)

2. Build the Circuit

Next, you’re going to build a circuit by connecting the following pins (and resistors) using the jumper wires:

• ESP8266 GND x Arduino GND (black wire)
• ESP8266 RX x 1K Resistor x Arduino Pin 2 (blue wire)
• ESP8266 RX x 1K Resistor x Arduino GND (blue wire)
• ESP8266 VCC/3.3V/Power x 10K Resistor x Arduino 3.3V (red wire)
• ESP8266 CH_EN/Enable x 10K Resistor x Arduino 3.3V (red wire)
• ESP8266 TX x Arduino Pin 3 (green wire)

3. Get Connected

Once everything is set-up, you should see that your WiFi is now in range of your smartphone.

a) Download TCP
(you should be able to download TCP from the App Store or Play Store. Jefferson used the TCP client for Android by Sollae Systems)

b) Connect to the ESP8266 WiFi from your phone
(Typically, the name of the WiFi / SSID will start with ESP followed by the version number)

c) Get the Static IP address
(Note: you can find the IP by going to your WiFi settings and looking under Network Info. If you want to change the address, use this WiFi.config() reference)

d) Open TCP
(Create the connection by adding in the IP and Port numbers)

e) TCP should now register that it’s connected!

4. Use Your Smartphone with Arduino UNO

Now that you’re connected, type this code to TCP: esp8266: <any AT Commands>.

Now, you’ll be able to use AT commands to communicate between the WiFi and Arduino. Note: according to Jefferson, you should be able to change your response based on the logic you put in the code. You can find the sample code on his github.

That’s it! Now you should have your Arduino UNO connected to WiFi. If you want to find out more about this project, be sure to check out the additional resources here.

Our team here at Vilros hopes you’ve enjoyed creating this cool Arduino UNO project. If you’d like to find more project ideas using Arduino or Raspberry Pi, don’t forget to bookmark our Vilros Projects blog so you can keep coming back and finding new projects to try!