Mars Rover WiFi

Hi all, I have just finished building the Perseverance Mars Rover. Everything seems to be ok apart from the WiFi connection to the controller. When I try to Pair, it says connected but the Pairing leds still flash and I have no control. I might get one frame from the camera but everything else is non-functional. After a few seconds it will say Disconnected.
I tried it outside to minimise any interference, and even in the car (Faraday cage) with the controller right next to the Rover.
I’m using 3A 1.5V Lithium AA batteries, just in case the battery drain reduced voltage with Alkalines. The ESP32 Wifi modules are supposed to work over reasonable distances. Any help anyone can offer gratefully received !