Access Point with Web Interface¶

Create a WiFi access point on Pico W and serve a web page for LED control.

Overview¶

This advanced example demonstrates how to configure the Pico W as a WiFi access point and serve a complete web interface for controlling the onboard LED.

Source Code¶

File: src/pico_scripts/06_access_point_web.py

Features¶

WiFi Access Point mode
HTTP web server
Responsive HTML interface
LED control via web buttons
DHCP IP assignment
Error handling
Clean shutdown

Hardware Requirements¶

Raspberry Pi Pico W (WiFi required)
Onboard LED
No external components needed

Default Configuration¶

AP_SSID = "PicoW-LED-Control"
AP_PASSWORD = "pico12345"  # Min 8 characters
AP_CHANNEL = 11
IP_ADDRESS = "192.168.4.1"  # Default AP IP

Code Explanation¶

Create Access Point¶

import network

def create_access_point(ssid, password, channel=11):
    ap = network.WLAN(network.AP_IF)
    ap.active(True)
    ap.config(essid=ssid, password=password, channel=channel)

    while not ap.active():
        time.sleep(0.5)

    return ap

Web Server¶

import socket

def start_web_server(ip_address, port=80):
    server_socket = socket.socket(socket.AF_INET, socket.SOCK_STREAM)
    server_socket.setsockopt(socket.SOL_SOCKET, socket.SO_REUSEADDR, 1)
    server_socket.bind((ip_address, port))
    server_socket.listen(5)

    while True:
        client_socket, client_address = server_socket.accept()
        request = client_socket.recv(1024).decode()

        handle_request(client_socket, request)
        client_socket.close()

LED Control Endpoints¶

def handle_request(client_socket, request):
    path = request.split()[1]

    if path == "/led/on":
        led.on()
        led_state = True
    elif path == "/led/off":
        led.off()
        led_state = False

    html = generate_html()
    response = f"""HTTP/1.1 200 OK
Content-Type: text/html

{html}"""
    client_socket.send(response.encode())

HTML Interface¶

The script generates a responsive web page with: - Modern design with gradients - LED status display - ON/OFF control buttons - Network information - Mobile-friendly layout

Usage¶

1. Upload Script¶

Open 06_access_point_web.py in Thonny
Upload to Pico W
Run the script

2. Connect to Access Point¶

From any device (phone, tablet, laptop):

Open WiFi settings
Look for network: PicoW-LED-Control
Connect using password: pico12345
Wait for connection (may take 10-20 seconds)

3. Access Web Interface¶

Open web browser
Navigate to: http://192.168.4.1
The LED control page should load
Click buttons to control LED

Expected Output (Console)¶

============================================================
Raspberry Pi Pico W - Access Point Web Server
============================================================
============================================================
Creating WiFi Access Point
============================================================

Access Point created successfully!
SSID: PicoW-LED-Control
Password: pico12345
Channel: 11

Network Configuration:
  IP Address: 192.168.4.1
  Subnet Mask: 255.255.255.0
  Gateway: 192.168.4.1
  DNS Server: 192.168.4.1
============================================================

Starting web server on 192.168.4.1:80
============================================================
Web server running!
Connect to WiFi: PicoW-LED-Control
Then open browser to: http://192.168.4.1
============================================================

Waiting for connections...

[Connection #1] Client: 192.168.4.2:54321
Request: GET / HTTP/1.1

[Connection #2] Client: 192.168.4.2:54322
Request: GET /led/on HTTP/1.1
LED turned ON

Web Interface Features¶

LED Status Display¶

Green background: LED is ON
Red background: LED is OFF
Large, clear status text

Control Buttons¶

Turn ON: Green button, turns LED on
Turn OFF: Red button, turns LED off
Instant feedback on click

Network Information¶

Access point name
Device type
Connection status

Customization¶

Change Network Name¶

AP_SSID = "MyCustomName"
AP_PASSWORD = "MySecurePassword123"

Change IP Address¶

# In create_access_point():
ap.ifconfig(('192.168.4.1', '255.255.255.0', '192.168.4.1', '192.168.4.1'))

Modify Web Page¶

Edit the generate_html() function to customize: - Colors and styling - Button text - Additional controls - Page layout

Advanced Features¶

Add More LED Patterns¶

if path == "/led/blink":
    for _ in range(5):
        led.on()
        time.sleep(0.5)
        led.off()
        time.sleep(0.5)

Add Status API¶

if path == "/api/status":
    response = f"""HTTP/1.1 200 OK
Content-Type: application/json

{{"led_state": {led_state}, "uptime": {time.time()}}}"""

Multiple Clients¶

The server can handle multiple connections sequentially. For better performance, consider: - Reducing HTML size - Minimizing CSS - Keeping responses fast

Troubleshooting¶

Can't Find WiFi Network¶

Check: - Pico is powered on - Script is running (check console) - Device supports 2.4 GHz WiFi - Not too far from Pico

Try: - Restart Pico - Check SSID in console output - Scan for networks again

Can't Connect to Network¶

Check: - Password is correct (min 8 characters) - WiFi is enabled on device - No other access point with same name

Try: - Forget network and reconnect - Restart device WiFi - Try different device

Web Page Won't Load¶

Check: - Connected to PicoW-LED-Control WiFi - Using correct IP: http://192.168.4.1 - Not using HTTPS (use HTTP only)

Try: - Refresh browser (Ctrl+F5) - Try different browser - Check console for connection logs - Restart web browser

LED Not Responding¶

Check: - Web page loads correctly - Console shows request received - Correct endpoint (/led/on or /led/off)

Try: - Check console for LED status - Test LED manually in code - Restart Pico

Security Notes¶

⚠️ Important Security Considerations:

Change default password in production
No encryption for web traffic (HTTP, not HTTPS)
Basic access only - no authentication
Open network - anyone can connect with password

For production use, consider: - Stronger password (12+ characters) - Adding web authentication - Implementing HTTPS - Rate limiting connections

Use Cases¶

IoT Device Control - Control hardware remotely
Standalone Systems - No internet required
Education - Learn web servers and networking
Prototyping - Quick web interface testing
Remote Monitoring - Add sensor readings to page

Performance¶

Connection time: 10-20 seconds
Page load: < 1 second
Response time: Near instant
Concurrent connections: 1 at a time (sequential)

Next Steps¶

Add sensor readings to web page
Implement form inputs for settings
Create API endpoints for automation
Add real-time updates with AJAX

Reference¶

Full source: src/pico_scripts/06_access_point_web.py

Related examples: - WiFi Connection - Client mode basics - API Consumer - HTTP requests