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By pcm2a
#55778 I'm a noob here when it comes to the ESP8266. I have already been successful wiring a ESP8266-01 to my Arduino Uno. I am able to use the Arduino IDE to communicate with the esp using AT commands, works great.

Now I have plugged the esp into a FT232RL usb to serial adapter. I installed the drivers, installed the addon for Arduino IDE, I pick the board and the port. I launch serial monitor and nothing. I tried baud 9600 and 115200, and nothing happens when I type in AT.

I have tried this on Windows 7 and Mac OS, after installing the FT232RL driver on each.
I have tried with two working ESP8266 (work when connnected to my Uno)
I also tried powering it from my Uno instead of from the FT232RL, in case it was a power issue, no dice.
When I connect to my Uno TX->TX and RX->RX and when I connect to the FT232RL I did the same connection. When I transmit AT I see a blue light blink on the ESP, that seems like a good sign?
I also tried reversing the connections since all guides say Tx->Rx, then no blue light blinks.

There must be some key that I'm missing to getting this thing to work with the FT232RL, does anyone know?
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By pcm2a
#55782 I'm still baffled on this one, check out what I have been trying:

1. Hook up esp to arduino for rx/tx and pwr/gnd, works great, can communicate to two esps. Have tx->tx and rx->rx.
2. Unhook just the pwr (vcc and chpd) and gnd and move them over to the breadboard power supply. Now I get no response from the serial monitor. I send AT and I see the blue light blink! I send AT+RST and the light blinks a bunch (probably resetting). Why isn't any data being returned?!?!
3. Try switching so tx->rx and rx->tx, when do this and restart the blue light is solid 100% of the time, so probably that's not correct.
4. Verified with my voltmeter that my psu is putting out a solid 3.3 volts.

I've tried every buad rate, even though when it is all going through the arduino it works at 9600.

Update: I almost got it! Needed to have a common ground wire between the arduino and the power supply. Now I can connect to an access point but after 10-30 seconds it disconnects. Any ideas on that? My external psu can certainly put out as much current as it needs.
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By pcm2a
#55815 Finally got it! This is what fixed it on two ESP8266s: AT+CWDHCP=1,0. Once I sent that it would connect to the access point, get and IP and stay connected.

So to recap my issues were:
1. Common ground wire (between arduino + psu, or between FT232FL + psu)
2. Have to execute AT+CWDHCP=1,0 one time on new chips