[all variants] Alienware AW17R3 Help

Vendor: Alienware (Dell)
Model: AW17R3-7092SLV 17.3" FHD Laptop (6th Generation Intel Core i7, 16 GB RAM, 256 GB SSD + 1 TB HDD) NVIDIA GeForce GTX980M
Received: May 12, 2016
Operating System: Microsoft Windows 10 (Home)
Desired Operating System: Ubuntu Studio 16.04 'Xenial Xerus'

I received an Alienware AW17R3-7092SLV 17.3" FHD Laptop (6th Generation Intel Core i7, 16 GB RAM, 256 GB SSD + 1 TB HDD) NVIDIA GeForce GTX980M free of charge (don't ask!) several days ago. This computer is manufactured by Dell. It has Microsoft Windows 10 (Home) installed.

I would like to completely replace Windows with Ubuntu Studio 16.04.

However, when I run the 64-bit Live CD [DVD] disk (which is perfect, not corrupted in any way), everything seems to work - except the Wi-Fi.

I am even able, using an Etheet cable, to access the Inteet and install the proprietary NVidia drivers which are on this machine.

But I caot, no matter what I do, get that computer to coect via Wi-Fi. (The Fn + F2 control doesn't work; the message in the Network information shows that Wi-Fi is disabled but, sometimes after pressing the Fx + F2 keys, the message shows that the Wi-Fi is disabled via a hardware switch and once it shows that message, the message caot be changed.) Even though I configure the Wi-Fi coection properly (using the proper SSID and WPA2 password) in the Network setting, it does not function.

I should also mention that I tried using the new Xubuntu 16.04 64-bit Live CD (also a DVD) with exactly the same results.

Here are the Wi-Fi Network Adapter particulars:

Killer Wireless-n/a/ac 1535 Wireless Network Adapter

8/23/2015 Driver Version 12.0.0.337

Qualcomm Atheros Communications, Inc.

PCI bus 60 device 0 functon 0

I would like to know if, if I were to 'wipe' Windows and install Ubuntu Studio (or Xubuntu or even Ubuntu) whether this device will work with one or all of these operating systems. It certainly doesn't with the Live CD.

I suppose the logical thing to do would be to contact Dell's Linux unit but, as many people have pointed out over the years, this is generally fruitless.

Obviously, if the Live CD doesn't work properly, I do not want to install Ubuntu Studio to this computer - UNLESS there is someone here who can help me do so. I would wish to know exactly what the Wi-Fi coection problem is and how it can be rectified.

I sincerely thank anyone who can give me help with this problem.