Inspiron 7773 WiFi Beamforming

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@remblancewrote:

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@jphughanwrote:

Do you have other active WiFi devices on your network that your router might be prioritizing when beamforming is enabled?

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OK, I switched off every WiFi device on my network so only the Inspiron is connected. With beamforming OFF the speed using my ISP speed checker recorded 73 mbps. I then switched ON beamforming and then speed then recorded 23 mbps. While beamforming is left ON I tried an iPad Pro and the speed is 73 mbps. iPhone 6S 73 mbps. Conclusion the Inspiron doesn't like beamforming. Upload speed is consistent at 18.5 mbps for both beamforming ON and OFF. 

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Interesting.  I know that beamforming as an industry standard is somewhat new, since it was originally implemented in vendor-proprietary ways starting late in 802.11n's lifecycle, and it could definitely create more problems than it solved at least back then.  Have you updated your WiFi drivers to the latest available from Intel rather than Dell?  And out of curiosity, what router(s) are you using?  You mentioned two routers, but it's not clear if that means two separate router models or two unique examples of the same model.  Is your router firmware up to date?  If all of that checks out and you still have an issue, then you may be right that the Intel 3165 card for some reason isn't causing the router's beamforming to optimize its signal for that device.  One option you may want to consider is upgrading to the Intel 8265 or even the brand new Intel 9260 WiFi card.  They can be had for about $25-35 on Amazon, and since both of them support 2x2 transmission rather than just 1x1 like your current 3165, you may see other improvements in range and throughput.  To be fair, if the highest bandwidth you ever use is a ~72 Mbps Internet connection, the 3165 should be more than up to the task, although if you can't get your full bandwidth from farther away from the router, an upgraded card may give you better throughput at greater distance.  For what it's worth, I'm using systems with an Intel 8265 and Intel 9260 WiFi card with an ASUS RT-AC88U router that has all beamforming options enabled and I'm able to get my full 300 Mbps Internet bandwidth even from a couple of rooms away.