ESP32 Forum

The ESP32 C3 SuperMini CAN NOT connect to WIFI normally when using a pin female header.

Once a pin female header is used, the ESP32 C3 SuperMini fails to connect to WIFI.

Even just connecting a pin header socket to pin 21 causes WIFI connection failure.

As long as pin 21 is not connected to the pin header socket, everything works fine.
If a pin header socket is not used and instead jumper wires are used, everything works normally.
Also, I have confirmed that there are no issues with the pin header socket, such as short circuits.
I have tested two ESP32 C3 SuperMini boards and both have experienced the issue.

What could be the reason for this?
Here are some related debug output messages:

[206533][D][WiFiGeneric.cpp:1035] _eventCallback(): Arduino Event: 5 - STA_DISCONNECTED
[206542][W][WiFiGeneric.cpp:1057] _eventCallback(): Reason: 2 - AUTH_EXPIRE
[206549][D][WiFiGeneric.cpp:1081] _eventCallback(): WiFi AutoReconnect Running
[206565][V][WiFiGeneric.cpp:97] set_esp_interface_ip(): Configuring Station static IP: 0.0.0.0, MASK: 0.0.0.0, GW: 0.0.0.0
[208304][V][WiFiGeneric.cpp:362] _arduino_event_cb(): STA Disconnected: SSID: CHEN, BSSID: 24:cc:24:a1:c1:05, Reason: 2
[208304][D][WiFiGeneric.cpp:1035] _eventCallback(): Arduino Event: 5 - STA_DISCONNECTED
[208313][W][WiFiGeneric.cpp:1057] _eventCallback(): Reason: 2 - AUTH_EXPIRE
[208320][D][WiFiGeneric.cpp:1081] _eventCallback(): WiFi AutoReconnect Running

Looking at the photo, I have doubts whether the ceramic WiFi antenna (red rectangular) is soldered properly.
I would resolder it manually to see if it helps.

Might be a bad module; it's known that some manufacturer of boards marked as C3-supermini messed up their routing leading to crap WiFi performance.