diff --git a/libraries/ESP8266WiFi/examples/WiFiTelnetToSerial/WiFiTelnetToSerial.ino b/libraries/ESP8266WiFi/examples/WiFiTelnetToSerial/WiFiTelnetToSerial.ino
index b31c552e35..15c0cd38bd 100644
--- a/libraries/ESP8266WiFi/examples/WiFiTelnetToSerial/WiFiTelnetToSerial.ino
+++ b/libraries/ESP8266WiFi/examples/WiFiTelnetToSerial/WiFiTelnetToSerial.ino
@@ -29,7 +29,7 @@
 
 /*
     SWAP_PINS:
-   0: use Serial1 for logging (legacy example)
+   0: use Serial1 for logging
    1: configure Hardware Serial port on RX:GPIO13 TX:GPIO15
       and use EspSoftwareSerial for logging on
       standard Serial pins RX:GPIO3 and TX:GPIO1
@@ -90,6 +90,8 @@ void setup() {
   logger->enableIntTx(false);
   logger->println("\n\nUsing EspSoftwareSerial for logging");
 #else
+  // Hardware serial0 is on RX(3)/TX(1)
+  // Hardware serial1 is on (no RX)/TX(2)
   logger->begin(BAUD_LOGGER);
   logger->println("\n\nUsing Serial1 for logging");
 #endif
diff --git a/libraries/esp8266/examples/SerialStress/SerialStress.ino b/libraries/esp8266/examples/SerialStress/SerialStress.ino
index 5d6aaf2366..0de85d9106 100644
--- a/libraries/esp8266/examples/SerialStress/SerialStress.ino
+++ b/libraries/esp8266/examples/SerialStress/SerialStress.ino
@@ -1,17 +1,16 @@
 
 /*
   Serial read/write/verify/benchmark
-  Using internal loopback
-  Using EspSoftwareSerial library for logging
+  Using Serial0 for internal loopback
+  Using Serial1 for logging
 
   Sketch meant for debugging only
   Released to public domain
 */
 
 #include <ESP8266WiFi.h>
-#include <SoftwareSerial.h>
 
-#define SSBAUD 115200        // logger on console for humans
+#define LOGBAUD 115200       // logger on console for humans
 #define BAUD 3000000         // hardware serial stress test
 #define BUFFER_SIZE 4096     // may be useless to use more than 2*SERIAL_SIZE_RX
 #define SERIAL_SIZE_RX 1024  // Serial.setRxBufferSize()
@@ -21,6 +20,9 @@
 #define TIMEOUT 5000
 #define DEBUG(x...)  // x
 
+#define READING_PIN 4
+#define TIMEOUT_PIN 5
+
 uint8_t buf[BUFFER_SIZE];
 uint8_t temp[BUFFER_SIZE];
 bool reading = true;
@@ -51,18 +53,18 @@ void error(const char* what) {
 void setup() {
   pinMode(LED_BUILTIN, OUTPUT);
 
+  pinMode(READING_PIN, INPUT);
+  pinMode(TIMEOUT_PIN, INPUT);
+
   Serial.begin(BAUD);
   Serial.swap();  // RX=GPIO13 TX=GPIO15
   Serial.setRxBufferSize(SERIAL_SIZE_RX);
 
-  // using HardwareSerial0 pins,
-  // so we can still log to the regular usbserial chips
-  SoftwareSerial* ss = new SoftwareSerial(3, 1);
-  ss->begin(SSBAUD);
-  ss->enableIntTx(false);
-  logger = ss;
+  Serial1.begin(LOGBAUD); // RX=NONE TX=GPIO2
+  logger = &Serial1;
+
   logger->println();
-  logger->printf("\n\nOn Software Serial for logging\n");
+  logger->printf("\n\nOn Serial1 for logging\n");
 
   int baud = Serial.baudRate();
   logger->printf(ESP.getFullVersion().c_str());
@@ -140,15 +142,13 @@ void loop() {
     timeout = (last_ms = now_ms) + TIMEOUT;
   }
 
-  if (logger->available()) switch (logger->read()) {
-      case 's':
-        logger->println("now stopping reading, keeping writing");
-        reading = false;
-        break;
-      case 't':
-        testReadBytesTimeout ^= FAKE_INCREASED_AVAILABLE;
-        logger->printf("testing readBytes timeout: %d\n", !!testReadBytesTimeout);
-        break;
-      default:;
-    }
+  if (reading && (digitalRead(READING_PIN) == 0)) {
+    logger->println("now stopping reading, keeping writing");
+    reading = false;
+  }
+
+  if (digitalRead(TIMEOUT_PIN) == 0) {
+    testReadBytesTimeout ^= FAKE_INCREASED_AVAILABLE;
+    logger->printf("testing readBytes timeout: %d\n", !!testReadBytesTimeout);
+  }
 }
diff --git a/libraries/esp8266/examples/TestEspApi/TestEspApi.ino b/libraries/esp8266/examples/TestEspApi/TestEspApi.ino
index 903306a1dd..38e443f3ca 100644
--- a/libraries/esp8266/examples/TestEspApi/TestEspApi.ino
+++ b/libraries/esp8266/examples/TestEspApi/TestEspApi.ino
@@ -15,8 +15,8 @@ extern "C" {
 }
 #endif
 
-// Set up output serial port (could be a SoftwareSerial
-// if really wanted).
+// Set up output on the first serial port
+// (can be any Stream, if needed)
 
 Stream& ehConsolePort(Serial);
 
diff --git a/libraries/lwIP_PPP/examples/PPPServer/PPPServer.ino b/libraries/lwIP_PPP/examples/PPPServer/PPPServer.ino
index baa499721e..6f4d00fbcc 100644
--- a/libraries/lwIP_PPP/examples/PPPServer/PPPServer.ino
+++ b/libraries/lwIP_PPP/examples/PPPServer/PPPServer.ino
@@ -20,7 +20,6 @@
 #include <lwip/dns.h>
 #include <PPPServer.h>
 #include <ESP8266WiFi.h>
-#include <SoftwareSerial.h>
 
 #ifndef STASSID
 #define STASSID "your-ssid"
@@ -36,8 +35,8 @@
 #define RX 13  // d1mini D7
 #define TX 15  // d1mini D8
 
-SoftwareSerial ppplink(RX, TX);
-HardwareSerial& logger = Serial;
+HardwareSerial& ppplink = Serial;
+HardwareSerial& logger = Serial1;
 PPPServer ppp(&ppplink);
 
 void PPPConnectedCallback(netif* nif) {
@@ -74,7 +73,8 @@ void setup() {
   logger.printf("\nSTA: %s (dns: %s / %s)\n", WiFi.localIP().toString().c_str(), WiFi.dnsIP(0).toString().c_str(), WiFi.dnsIP(1).toString().c_str());
 
   ppplink.begin(PPPLINKBAUD);
-  ppplink.enableIntTx(true);
+  ppplink.swap(); // RX=GPIO13 TX=GPIO15
+
   logger.println();
   logger.printf("\n\nhey, trying to be a PPP server here\n\n");
   logger.printf("Now try this on your linux host:\n\n");