Here’s how to stay connected without the expense and hassle while traveling: D-Link’s nifty mobile hotspot

Quite a few years back, we were travelling and while in Portugal, a much-loved relative back at home passed away. This was back in the day of dumb brick-phones, and we were without Wi-Fi, so we only heard about it after the funeral. We were both devastated.

Thankfully, the internet can now be found almost everywhere, thanks to the wonders of services such as SpaceX, mobile networks, and smartphones. That said, if you’re a couple or a family running multiple sims in roaming mode, travelling can quickly become an expensive undertaking as roaming rates for all family members with connected devices begin to add up.

You could, of course, buy local SIMs, but then you lose your normal phone number. Alternatively, you can set up your phone as a Wi-Fi hotspot and allow other family members to access it. The only real problem with this is that it’ll significantly increase your roaming costs, blowing out your mobile data allowance while rapidly draining your phone’s battery. Additionally, there is the typically slow throughput associated with smartphone-based Wi-Fi hotspots, as well as the multiple security risks you run by having a visible Wi-Fi network running off your phone, which most likely has banking details and a wealth of other personal information on it.

But there is a better solution for anyone wanting family or group-wide internet access on the go. It comes in the form of D-Link’s DWR-933M 4G, Wi-Fi 6 mobile hotspot. About the size of a typical wallet, the wee D-Link can be easily slipped into a pocket. It packs several useful features, including a decent-sized battery, a firewall, and dual-band Wi-Fi 6 networks that can connect to the internet via speedy Cat 6 LTE mobile data.

Perhaps the single most useful aspect of the DWR-933M is its large, easy-to-read 1.7-inch colour TFT LCD display, which clearly indicates how much data has been consumed and how many devices are connected at a glance.

The major downside of using your phone as a Wi-Fi hotspot is that it’ll typically run out of juice in just a few hours, especially if you’re using it for navigation, as well as a camera and music player during your holiday. The generously sized 3000mAh battery, in theory, should provide 12 hours of use for you and other users on a single charge. That said, your mileage will vary depending on factors such as mobile coverage, data consumption and so on. Either way, you’ll get far more use out of it than with a phone.

According to D-Link, the DWR-933M can theoretically deliver 600 Mbps throughput; however, this again depends on the quality of the mobile network that the hotspot is using. If the 2.4 GHz band is too crowded, the good news is that it also supports the usually far less crowded (and faster) 5GHZ band, and as it can support up to 64 simultaneous connections, it’s ideal for any group or family (even the Brady Bunch).

Getting set up was no hardship either. I downloaded the D-Link mobile connect app to my phone using a tiny QR code in the manual, then removed the back cover. I used the password/user ID labelled in the battery bay, inserted the battery, and went through the entire setup process. I could name the Wi-Fi networks, supply a WPA2/3 password, configure WPS, and set up a firewall, which should (in theory) keep everything as secure as possible. The total setup time was measured in mere minutes, and I was good to go. Keeping the hotspot charged is a doddle too, thanks to its integrated USB-C charging port, which means it’ll play nice with a standard phone charger.

With its super-easy setup and integrated security features, and its affordable $149 sticker price, the DWR-933M means that cheap local travel data SIM and staying connected have never been easier.

https://www.dlink.co.nz/home-solutions/DWR-933M-4G-LTE-Cat-6-Wi-Fi-Hotspot