Wifi configuration / activation (eg. on XIAO ESP32S3+Wio-SX1262)

[unosonic]

I want to connect a ESP32S3+Wio-SX1262 as a RNodeInterface (port = tcp://x.x.x.x) eg. in sideband or meshchatx.
So I've configured a wifi on the XIAO using rnodeconf -w station etc.
This works, BUT only when I first connect the board via USB and open the serial connection, eg. with rnodeconf --info /dev/ttyACM0. Only then the wifi connection starts up. Is that the intended behaviour or is there a trick to fire up wifi without a connected computer? Did I miss something?

[ghost]

Ive been trying to get the same hardware working as a transport node, but cant get the wifi working at all. Either through setting up with rnodeconf or the webconsole.

for example,

rnodeconf --tnc works fine and rnodeconf --info confirms this

rnodeconf --wifi station runs fine but rnodeconf --config returns

Device configuration:
Bluetooth : Disabled
WiFi : Disabled
Interference avoidance : Disabled
Display brightness : 255
Display address : Default
Display blanking : Disabled
Display rotation : Default

Nothing related in the bootlogs. Anyone else had any progress?