D-Link DWR-933 4G/LTE portable router (Dlink network review)

The D-Link DWR-933 4G/LTE router provides internet hotspot access wherever you can get a 4G/LTE signal. It supports up to 10 devices. It is well-priced at $169.95.

Before you remind me that smartphones can also act as a hotspot (true), let me tell you why a dedicated one with a data-only SIM plan is better.

• Lower cost – you can generally get a plan as low as 30 cents per GB as you are not paying for calls and texts.
• Less congestion – generally uses data-only bands and APNs that don’t compete with voice, streaming and more and may achieve higher data transfer rates.
• Less throttling than voice sims. When voice bands become congested, they are throttled to focus on voice, not data.
• You can buy a monthly or annual SIM.
• They don’t include voice or SMS (they don’t have a mobile number), but you can use WhatsApp, Duo etc., and video conference tools like MS Teams.

Australian review: D-Link DWR-933 4G/LTE router

Website	Product page and PDF Manual
Price	RRP $249.95 but on special at $169.95
From	D-Link online, JB Hi-Fi, Good Guys, Officeworks. Myer, Big W, and reputable IT retailers
Warranty	1-year (3-year extendable on product registration)
Country of Manufacture	China
Company	D-Link, est. 1986 is a Taiwanese multinational networking company headquartered in Taipei, Taiwan. You can trust D-Link and your privacy.
More	CyberShack D-Link news and reviews

We use Fail (below expectations), Pass (meets expectations) and Exceed (surpasses expectations or is the class leader) against many of the items below. We occasionally give a Pass(able) rating that is not as good as it should be and a Pass ‘+’ rating to show it is good but does not quite make it to Exceed. You can click on most images for an enlargement.

Consumer Warning

Do not buy this overseas or from the grey market. The LTE bands are for Australia. And take care if you are looking for other reviews. Most are for the DWR-932, which has far lower specs and is not sold here.

Basic Specs – Australian version D-Link DWR-933

• Micro SIM (Nano adapter supplied)
• Bands 1, 3, 7, 8, 28, and 40 – for Australia only – will not work everywhere else
• LTE Cat 6 speeds – DL/UL 300/50Mbps but in reality, between 50/20 and 100/50
• Dual Band Wi-Fi 5 AC1200 (2.4Ghz 300Mbps and 5Ghz 867Mbps half-duplex)
• Micro-SD to 64GB (network storage)
• 3000mAh battery for 10-14 hours of life and approx. 4-hour micro-USB charge (no fast charge)
• WPA/WP2 and WPS for older device connection
• Claim supports up to 32 devices – the reality is about 5-10
• D-Link router software includes a firewall and more

First Impression – Cigarette pack sized – Pass

It is a bit old style with a removable battery, SIM, and microSD slot under that, and a small (.96”) OLED display. The two buttons are for power and WPS (network joining). It is 98 x 71 x 18.8 mm x 120g. It has no optional external antennas.

Setup – Pass

Setup is easy via a Wizard and web interface (192.168.0.1) that you should change to, say, 192.168.10.1 to avoid any clashes with fixed routers and gateways.

Tests – All pass

You are supposed to be able to connect via the micro-USB cable to a PC for network access. We were unable to achieve that in Windows 11. It is a matter of the Remote NDIS and D-Link LTE MTP drivers being loaded. These were listed on the D-Link website but have been removed.

Speed – Pass

It has a 1T/2R (Upload/Download) internal antenna. In a three-bar area using A Boost SIM on the Telstra Network, it achieved 36/5Mbps with a 41ms ping. A comparable smartphone achieves about 20% less. In a four-bar area, it reached 55/20Mbps and 28ms ping.

Wi-Fi signal strength – Pass

• At <2m, the 5Ghz band achieves -35dBm/866Mbps half-duplex
• At 2-5m, it achieves -48/512Mbps
• At 5-10m, it achieves -55/128Mbps
• At 10m, you need to swap to the 2.4Ghz band

These are reasonable figures given that it is a 2-stream device. When tested with multiple clients, it handles about five on the 5GHz band well, with no noticeable signal strength or speed drop-off.

We tested with Netflix streaming (1090p), which maxed out at two clients with acceptable buffering (partially a 4G speed issue).

Battery – Pass

It has a micro-USB connection and a 5V/1A/5W power requirement (no charger supplied). The 3000mAh battery is good for about 14 hours of use (we used it for about 10 hours, and it still had 30% left).

Battery life is dependent on 4G signal strength and traffic as well.

Best use

In all cases, it depends on the 4G mobile signal strength.

• Small group meetings where corporate Wi-Fi is not available
• Family holidays. While 4G coverage is reasonable along the main access routes around Australia, it lacks the antenna strength to use while in a car, bus or train
• Grey nomads, vans, mobile homes

Remember, this is portable and does not have the same antenna signal strength as the D-Link G415 4G Eagle Pro AI AX1500 mesh-capable router (DLink network review). It also does not have external antenna ports. It is not recommended for fixed home use and NBN replacement.

CyberShack’s View – D-Link DWR-933, 4G/LTE router, is great in the right place

Too many people do not understand how 4G works, let alone how a router works.

4G is not a substitute for NBN. While the data-only plans are more reliable, speeds vary enormously. We got from 5-50Mbps (three-bar) during our tests, which often varies by the second. We have done our job as long as you know the issues.

I constantly see users complain because their $150 Crappy NBN FTTN Modem (network guide) simply was not made to support lots of users or IoT devices. Their response is, ‘But that is what they sold me,’ and gag as I explain that covering their home with reliable Wi-Fi may cost ten times that.

And a final reminder – a data-only SIM plan is generally faster, more reliable, and cheaper (and safer) than using your data/voice smartphone plan as a Wi-fi Hotspot.

Rating Explanation – D-Link DWR-933

Features: 80 – it is an AC1200 4G router

Value: 90 – At the current special price, it is good value

Performance: 80 – While it is theoretically capable of 300/50Mbps, you probably will never achieve that. Device sharing is more like 5-10.

Ease of Use: 90 – Wizard setup and a web interface as well

Design: 80 – Bit old fashioned and very plastic