The ESP8266 performs as a server, receiving URL commands and forwarding them to an Arduino via the serial interface. In order to test this, the ESP8266 Tx needs to be connected to an Arduino Rx.

ESP8266 Web Server Using SDK API This project provides a Web Server Framework using either the Arduino Wifi Library or the EspressIf SDK API.

The web server firmware opens up a ton of possibilities with CGI scripting. When booting up in AP mode, you can even connect the ESP8266 to another access point right from the your browser.

In this tutorial we will learn how to interface the ESP8266-01 module with Arduino. This way we will be able to send or receive data between the Arduino and Internet.

ESP8266 web server for Neopixel LED strips [160487] Control your WS2812 RGB LED strip via an ESP8266 WiFi access point. This project controls an LED strip with WS2812 RGB Neopixels via WiFi.

That might explain the ESP8266 web server farm that [Eldon Brown] has built. Yup, a web server farm made from three of everyone’s favorite WiFi dongle, the humble ESP8266.