ESP8266 Community Forum

I would like to be able to use a Wifi router range extender with the ESP8266. Should the Wifi range extender use be transparent for OTA uploading? As I understand it the connection for OTA is between the PC and the router, and then the router to the ESP8266 correct? I noticed in a sketch with OTA upload that is working correctly that SSID and password are defined, however there is no Wifi.begin() command in the setup code or anywhere else. In another sketch with OTA upload I have used OTA uploading without defining a SSID and password yet it still uploads, what is going on here? Is it possible it is connecting directly between the PC and the ESP8266 without a router?

Thank you for the detailed, quick, and well explained response. You answered all of my questions! This forum should add Karma or something like that.

I asked this question a week or so ago. Specifically, i am using an ESP8266 running code kindly submitted by one of the forum members as the "range extender". In my case, i find the OTA no longer works on the distant device when it's connected vis the range extender. I haven't tried a commercial range extender, it may be different.