ESP32 to ESP32 AP/client WiFi connection problem

Question

Trying to communicate from one ESP32 to another ESP32 ,with one acting as a AP and another acting as Client but cant seem to connect the esp client to the esp AP, but connecting to AP using my smartphone works.Sorry if this seems to be a simple questions, I am new to esp32s and WiFI communication.

Code for the Access-point

#include <WiFi.h>
const char* ssid = "ESP32-Access-Point";
const char* password = "SyedAhmedAli";
 WiFiServer server(80); 
 void setup() {
 Serial.begin(115200);
 Serial.println("Setting AP (Access Point)...");
 WiFi.softAP(ssid, password); 
 IPAddress IP = WiFi.softAPIP();
 Serial.print("AP IP address: ");
 Serial.println(IP);
 Serial.print("MAC address: ");
 Serial.println(WiFi.softAPmacAddress());
 server.begin();
}
void loop(){
 WiFiClient client = server.available(); // Listen for incoming clients
 if (client) 
 { Serial.println("New Client."); 
 while (client.connected()) 
 { 
 Serial.println(client.connected());
 Serial.println("Client connected.");
 Serial.println("");
 }
 client.stop();
 Serial.println("Client disconnected.");
 Serial.println("");
 }
}

Code for the Client

#include <WiFi.h>
 #include <SPI.h>
const char* ssid = "ESP32-Access-Point";
const char* password = "SyedAhmedAli";
void setup() {
 Serial.begin(115200);
 WiFi.begin(ssid, password);
 scanNetworks();
 while (WiFi.status() != WL_CONNECTED) {
 delay(500);
 Serial.println("Connecting to WiFi..");
 }
 Serial.println("Connected to the WiFi network");
 }
void loop() {
}
void scanNetworks() {
 // scan for nearby networks:
 Serial.println("** Scan Networks **");
 byte numSsid = WiFi.scanNetworks();
 // print the list of networks seen:
 Serial.print("SSID List:");
 Serial.println(numSsid);
 // print the network number and name for each network found:
 for (int thisNet = 0; thisNet<numSsid; thisNet++) {
 Serial.print(thisNet);
 Serial.print(") Network: ");
 Serial.println(WiFi.SSID(thisNet));
 }
}

• Juraj: remove scanNetworks() call from station code. you execute it while the esp should connect to AP
• Syed Ahmed Ali: Should i use station mode in the client ?
• Juraj: WiFi has Access Points and stations. no clients
• Willy Wonka: @Juraj Hey! I got a message on client side that it has connected, but server side is not printing that a client has connected, perhaps you know why?
• Juraj: @Atizs, do you send some data? many Arduino networking libraries wait until data are available from the client

Answer 1

As @juraj mentions, in the Arduino code for ESP32, you cannot initiate a scan while an attempt to connect to AP is already ongoing.

Call scanNetworks() before attempting to connect (before the WiFi.begin(ssid, password);).

or

Call scanNetworks() after the connection to the AP has been established (after the while (WiFi.status() != WL_CONNECTED){}).

I don't see any point to scan networks while trying to connect to a known WiFi AP anyway.

• Willy Wonka: @SyedAhmedAli Hey! I got a message on client side that it has connected, but server side is quiet. Did you also have this?

Answer 2

ESPnow (see example here ) is easy for ESP to ESP communication. (also ESP8266 etc)