I didn't really find any solid answers on this. I switched to the Gnome variant and everything is fine. It actually resolves a couple of issues I'm having. I don't love the Gnome desktop environment but I needed the faster connection for the intended purpose. I switched to Gnome for now so I can move forward.
So, I guess that's solved...
EDIT:
I wanted to mention that that the Cinnamon desktop, it self, is great. I would still recommend it for someone that isn't as worried about Wi-Fi speed and security. Not being afraid of config files would also help. I still have this tucked away on an SD card. I'm hoping to get everything resolved with it at some point.
