Help with setup of WIFI serious issues

This may or may not be similar to their experience. We have found that the wifi in the board we just received is unusable.
We just purchased the WeatherPlus kit and were preparing to assemble it and work on processing the weather data this weekend. However, it turned into a quest to find out why the wifi didn’t work instead.
When it first booted up it bounced to the access point mode and displayed the AP ip address of 0.0.0.0 on the OLED display with no new SSID showing up no matter what device we used to scan for the WeatherPlus device. So we downloaded and installed the latest version using the arduino IDE with the same result. Figuring that there was something messed up in the access point part of the software we figured out how to hardcode the connection to the local network bit the connection call would return instantly without success. See the output from the WeatherPlus sketch below:
OurWeather Booting Up
Wssid=XXX
Wssid Length =3
WPassword=XXX
WPLength=3
Reading EEPROM
EEPROM
readCode:165
SSID:XXX
PASS:XXX
EnglishOrMetric:0
WeatherDisplayMode:4
Station Name:
Altitude:637.00
Admin Password:ad******
WeatherUnderground Station ID:XXXX
WeatherUnderground Station KEY:YY******
*WM:
*WM: AutoConnect
*WM: XXX
*WM: OurWeather - 58D
*WM:
displayMode=8
OurWeather Setup
*WM: No Valid SSID
*WM: Past the disconnect
*WM: Connecting as wifi client...
*WM: Connection result:
*WM: 1
displayMode=9
displayMode=6
OurWeather Setup
*WM: SET AP STA
*WM:
*WM: Configuring access point...
*WM: OurWeather - 58D
*WM: AP IP address:
*WM: 192.168.4.1
*WM: HTTP server started
displayMode=6
OurWeather Setup
failed to connect and hit timeout
tempAltitude>>8=24
tempAltitud& 0xFFe=226
Writing EEPROM
Wssid=XXX
Wssid Length =3
WPasswordXXX
WPLength=3
SSID:XXX
PASS:XXX
EnglishOrMetric:0
WeatherDisplayMode:4
Station Name:
Altitude:637.00
Admin Password:ad******
WeatherUnderground Station ID:XXXX
WeatherUnderground Station KEY:YY******


--------------------
OurWeather ESP8266-12
--------------------
Version: 023
Compiled at:23:21:55 Nov 24 2017
Free Sketch Space on OurWeather:659456
SunAirPlus Not Present
WXLink Not Present
port number = 80
AirQuality Extension Not Present
OurWeather IP Address:0.0.0.0
displayMode=1
No BMP180 detected
BMP280 Detected
crc =0x9411
crc_res =0x9411
AM2315 Detected...
5 second Loop executed
Free heap on ESP8266:30000
---------------
DS3231 Clock
---------------
11/24/2017 23:27:19
---------------
AM2315
---------------
crc =0x5B40
crc_res =0x5B40
Temp: 26.10
Hum: 36.30
DwPt: 13.36
---------------
BMP280
---------------
Pressure: 997.31 hPa
Temperature: 25.01 C
Altitude: 782.95 m

The sensors were all working and the OLED display would display the weather data so all seemed to be working except the wifi. So we started testing the wifi only with some modified sample sketches that tried to connect to our ssid and enumerate any other networks as well.
There was one brief time where it started to work but both the wifi connection and the AP were very unstable and dropped off very shortly.
This sketch tries to enumerate any local wifi networks and then connect to our local network. It neither sees that SSID nor any of the others from the neighbors either.
#include <ESP8266WiFi.h>
#include <EEPROM.h>
const String OP_MODE_NAMES[]
{
"NULL_MODE",
"STATION_MODE",
"SOFTAP_MODE",
"STATIONAP_MODE"
};
const String WL_STATUS_NAMES[]
{ "WL_IDLE_STATUS", // when Wi-Fi is in process of changing between statuses
"WL_NO_SSID_AVAIL", //in case configured SSID cannot be reached
"2",
"WL_CONNECTED", // after successful connection is established
"WL_CONNECT_FAILED",//if password is incorrect
"5",
"WL_DISCONNECTED" //if module is not configured in station mode
};
void printScanResult(int networksFound)
{
Serial.printf("%d network(s) found\n", networksFound);
for (int i = 0; i < networksFound; i++)
{
Serial.printf("%d: %s, Ch:%d (%ddBm) %s\n", i + 1, WiFi.SSID(i).c_str(), WiFi.channel(i), WiFi.RSSI(i), WiFi.encryptionType(i) == ENC_TYPE_NONE ? "open" : "");
}
}
bool isConnected=false;
unsigned long _startBlink;

bool tryConnect()
{
int status, mode;
String ssid="fastegium";
String pass="wifipassword";
Serial.println("Set the mode to STA mode");
bool ret = WiFi.mode(WIFI_STA);
if (!ret) Serial.println("Failed to set mode to WIFI_STA");
mode = WiFi.getMode();
status = WiFi.status();
if (!mode == WIFI_STA) Serial.println("Does not indicate that we are in WIFI_STA mode");
Serial.println("Mode actually is (" + String(mode) +") " + OP_MODE_NAMES[mode]);
Serial.println("Status actually is (" + String(status)+") " + WL_STATUS_NAMES[status]);
WiFi.disconnect();
delay(100);
mode = WiFi.getMode();
status = WiFi.status();
Serial.println("Mode actually is (" + String(mode) + ") " + OP_MODE_NAMES[mode]);
Serial.println("Status actually is (" + String(status)+") " + WL_STATUS_NAMES[status]);

unsigned long start = start=millis();
unsigned long done, elapsed;
Serial.println("Enumerate all the wifi networks available");
#if true
int numNetworks = WiFi.scanNetworks(false, true); // not async, show hidden
done = millis();
elapsed = done - start;
Serial.print("Scan Elapsed Time: ");
Serial.println(String(elapsed));
printScanResult(numNetworks);
#else
WiFi.scanNetworksAsync(printScanResult);
while (!WiFi.ScanComplete) { delay(100); }
#endif
Serial.println("Now log into the desired network");
WiFi.begin(ssid.c_str(), pass.c_str());
delay(100);
mode = WiFi.getMode();
status = WiFi.status();
Serial.println("Mode actually is (" + String(mode) + ") " + OP_MODE_NAMES[mode]);
Serial.println("Status actually is (" + String(status)+") " + WL_STATUS_NAMES[status]);

Serial.println("Connecting");
//int cstat=1;
int ccount=0;
while ((status = WiFi.status()) != WL_CONNECTED)
{
String statstring;
ccount++;
if (ccount > 30) break;
switch (status)
{
default:
statstring="Unknown status: " + String(status);
break;
case WL_IDLE_STATUS:// when Wi-Fi is in process of changing between statuses
statstring = "Idle";
break;
case WL_NO_SSID_AVAIL: //in case configured SSID cannot be reached
statstring="SSID: " + ssid + " NOT AVAILABLE";
break;
case WL_CONNECTED: // after successful connection is established
statstring= "Success!";
break;
case WL_CONNECT_FAILED ://if password is incorrect
statstring="password is incorrect";
break;
case WL_DISCONNECTED : //if module is not configured in station mode
statstring="Disconnected";
break;
}
Serial.println("Waiting: status="+String(status) + ":" + statstring);
delay(500);
}
Serial.println();
if (status == WL_CONNECTED)
{
isConnected = true;
Serial.print("Connected, IP address: ");
Serial.println(WiFi.localIP());
return true;
}
else
{
Serial.println("Unable to connect to " + ssid);
}
return false;
}

void setup()
{
Serial.begin(115200);
delay(100);
pinMode(LED_BUILTIN, OUTPUT); // Initialize the LED_BUILTIN pin as an output
Serial.println("Starting Up");
tryConnect();
_startBlink=millis();
}
bool _on=false;
void loop()
{
if (false)
if (millis() - _startBlink > 1000)
{
// Toggle the LED
if (false)
if (_on)
{
Serial.println("Turn LED off");
digitalWrite(LED_BUILTIN, LOW); // Turn the LED on (Note that LOW is the voltage level
// but actually the LED is on; this is because
// it is active low on the ESP-01)
_on = false;
}
else
{
Serial.println("Turn LED on");
digitalWrite(LED_BUILTIN, HIGH); // Turn the LED off by making the voltage HIGH
_on = true;
}
_startBlink = millis();
}
// if (!isConnected) while (!tryConnect()) { delay(100); }
}

Here is the output from the above script:
Starting Up
Set the mode to STA mode
Mode actually is (1) STATION_MODE
Status actually is (6) WL_DISCONNECTED
Mode actually is (1) STATION_MODE
Status actually is (0) WL_IDLE_STATUS
Enumerate all the wifi networks available
Scan Elapsed Time: 2165
0 network(s) found
Now log into the desired network
Mode actually is (1) STATION_MODE
Status actually is (6) WL_DISCONNECTED
Connecting
Waiting: status=6:Disconnected
Waiting: status=6:Disconnected
Waiting: status=6:Disconnected
Waiting: status=6:Disconnected
Waiting: status=6:Disconnected
Waiting: status=6:Disconnected
Waiting: status=6:Disconnected
Waiting: status=6:Disconnected
Waiting: status=6:Disconnected
Waiting: status=6:Disconnected
Waiting: status=6:Disconnected
Waiting: status=6:Disconnected
Waiting: status=6:Disconnected
Waiting: status=6:Disconnected
Waiting: status=1:SSID: fastegium NOT AVAILABLE
Waiting: status=1:SSID: fastegium NOT AVAILABLE
Waiting: status=1:SSID: fastegium NOT AVAILABLE
Waiting: status=1:SSID: fastegium NOT AVAILABLE
Waiting: status=1:SSID: fastegium NOT AVAILABLE
Waiting: status=1:SSID: fastegium NOT AVAILABLE
Waiting: status=1:SSID: fastegium NOT AVAILABLE
Waiting: status=1:SSID: fastegium NOT AVAILABLE
Waiting: status=1:SSID: fastegium NOT AVAILABLE
Waiting: status=1:SSID: fastegium NOT AVAILABLE
Waiting: status=1:SSID: fastegium NOT AVAILABLE
Waiting: status=1:SSID: fastegium NOT AVAILABLE
Waiting: status=1:SSID: fastegium NOT AVAILABLE
Waiting: status=1:SSID: fastegium NOT AVAILABLE
Waiting: status=1:SSID: fastegium NOT AVAILABLE
Waiting: status=1:SSID: fastegium NOT AVAILABLE

Unable to connect to fastegium

This may be relevant but if I run this script:
void setup() {
// put your setup code here, to run once:
Serial.begin(115200);
Serial.setDebugOutput(true);
}

void loop() {
// put your main code here, to run repeatedly:
}

This is the output:
error: pll_cal exceeds 2ms!!!
error: pll_cal exceeds 2ms!!!
error: pll_cal exceeds 2ms!!!
error: pll_cal exceeds 2ms!!!
error: pll_cal exceeds 2ms!!!
error: pll_cal exceeds 2ms!!!
error: pll_cal exceeds 2ms!!!
error: pll_cal exceeds 2ms!!!
error: pll_cal exceeds 2ms!!!
error: pll_cal exceeds 2ms!!!
error: pll_cal exceeds 2ms!!!
error: pll_cal exceeds 2ms!!!
error: pll_cal exceeds 2ms!!!
error: pll_cal exceeds 2ms!!!
error: pll_cal exceeds 2ms!!!

I cannot find any information on this but I don’t expect it is normal.
At this point I have lost any confidence in this board and the wifi chip in particular. I suspect that either the wifi module itself is defective or it is not integrated well.

Thanks for your reply. I will try it with a couple other APs as well as someplace without any interference to test the chip when it tries tor run in AP mode.