Reset ESP32-C3 briefly shows AP then disappears

ESPHome
1

I have a couple of ESP32-C3 devices. These are AThom ESPHome plugs (PG05 V3). I got them second hand and want to reset them.

When doing the reset (either hold the power for 40 seconds, or turn on/off x10 with 2 second pauses) they will eventually show an open Wi-Fi access point. “athom-smart-plug-v3-xxx”

I go to connect and … zip … it’s disappeared. Gone. Won’t come back for 15 minutes or so.

The 10+ other plugs of the same model I bought first hand haven’t had this same problem.

Any thoughts on how to recover these?

2

I have a bunch of these, but they are crappy and I don’t use them anymore.
I know this doesn’t help you much, but at least you know what to expect.