D-Link DWR-933M 4G+ Cat 6 Mobile Hotspot – Internet on the go (networking)

The D-Link DWR-933M 4G+ Cat 6 mobile hotspot can get download/upload speeds of up to 300/50Mbps and support dozens of wireless clients. At $99.95, It is a bargain.

Why 4G+ LTE and not 5G

You may ask why this is not a 5G Mobile Hotspot. The answer is that the 5G Netgear Nighthawk M7 ultra is $949 plus a Telstra 4/5G data plan of $25/30GB or $58/75GB per month. Not cheap!

While the Nighthawk from Telstra uses its uncapped speeds and can theoretically achieve up to 2000Mbps download (5G Sub-6Ghz), most reviews say it peaks around 1100Mbps and is typically between 300-600Mbps DL and 40-60Mbps UL. Some reviews state that 5G maxes out at 250Mbps, but that is Telstra’s capped speed for its resellers.

 Simply put, getting much faster than 150Mbps DL will cost a motza!

Why not use a smartphone as a hotspot?

Sure, you can do this, but the results are nowhere near a dedicated modem hotspot.

• Lower cost—You can get a 365-day plan for as low as $1 per GB, as you do not pay 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.
• There is 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-933M 4G+ Cat 6 Mobile Hotspot

Firmware version as tested 1.04.AU 5/11/24. This is the successor to the DWR-933 circa 2022. It is not a DWR-932 sold overseas.

Website	D-Link home page Product page Manual
RRP 23/02/25	$99.95
From	D-Link online and computer or network stores here.
Warranty	1 year ACL
Made in	Taiwan
Company	D-Link, founded in 1986, is a Taiwanese multinational networking company headquartered in Taipei, Taiwan. You can trust D-Link with your privacy.
More	CyberShack D-Link news and reviews CyberShack Networking 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 and Wi-Fi are for Australia.

First Impression – small, white and light

This is small, white, and light, measuring 109 x 63 x 16mm x 114g, including a battery.

You remove the back cover, insert the user-replaceable battery and a nano-SIM, charge it, and go.

The 1.77” colour LCD is fine for reading the status, and the top of the case acts as a lanyard point.

Remember, this is a 4G router with a built-in web interface. While it only has a USB-C port, you can connect a PC or Mac and Ethernet LAN to it.

Setup – Web shown

D-Link DWR-933M specs

• 4G+ LTE (Telstra and Optus/Vodafone)
• Cat6 up to 300/50Mbps DL/UL
• Nano SIM
• Firewall
• Bands 1, 3, 7, 8, 28, and 40 – for Australia only – may not work everywhere else
• Wi-Fi 6 2.4/5GHz bands 2-stream 1024 QAM
• LAN over USB-C
• 3000mAh battery and USB-C charge
• WPS one button connect and WPA2
• Built-in web page 192.168.1.1 (which you can change) pr D-Link Mobile Connect app
• Theoretical support for up to 64 clients on 2 Wi-Fi bands (in reality, 10-20)

Wi-Fi 5GHz distance to the router – Pass

While it can get up to AX 600Mbps, that is 286/286Mbps full duplex:

• 2M 286/229Mbps
• 5M 248/229Mbps
• 10m 210/186Mbps – this is good

Reception – Pass

We live in a reception black spot, so it is hard to give accurate figures. Over a week of tests, it went from 55/26Mbps to as low as 17.1/11.8Mbps with a median of 20/20Mpbs.

Battery – Pass

A user-replaceable 3.7V/3A/11.1W battery charges at 5V/1A/5W. Good for about 10-12 hours use. Charge time is over 3 hours. 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.

• Apartment dwellers
• 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
• Merchants at public markets
• In hotels where public Wi-Fi is limited
• Grey nomads, vans, mobile homes
• Remember, this is portable and does not have the same antenna signal strength as larger routers.

Things to know

• 4G+ is not a substitute for NBN. While the data-only plans are more reliable, speeds can vary enormously from second to second.
• Recommended for areas where you have at least 3-bar reception.
• If you want more speed or 5G (when you can get it), the Nighthawk is better, at nearly 10 times the price.
• USB-C connection to a PC provides an Ethernet LAN connection and charging.
• It does not have external antenna ports, so it is not recommended for regional and rural areas unless you have a strong Band 28.

We have done our job as long as you know the issues.

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

Too many people do not understand how 4G works, let alone how a router works. This is very simple – charge, add a SIM for internet on the go.

This is ridiculously low-cost and would be great as a backup!

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

D-Link DWR-933M, 4G+/LTE router ratings

Rated as a 4G modem/hotspot.

• Features: 80 – it has all the necessary features, a web interface and an app
• Value: 90 – cheap as chips – the data plan will cost you more!
• Performance: 80 – depends on 4G signal strength
• Ease of use: 90 – plug and play
• Design: 85 – nice to see a little style.