On the same Wi-Fi network, Remio always connects your devices straight to each other. Away from home — on cellular data, at a café, from the office — that direct path has to cross your home router, and routers block unsolicited traffic by design. When Remio cannot get through, it falls back to a relay server so the session still works, but every frame then takes a detour and latency goes up.
Forwarding one UDP port removes the guesswork. You pick a port, forward it to your computer on its router, and tell Remio to use exactly that port. From then on your client knocks on a door your router is holding open, and the session goes direct.
Pick a port — say 50000. Forward UDP 50000 to your computer's local IP on your router. In Remio on your phone or Mac, open Advanced settings → Network → Direct connection port and type 50000. Reconnect. Done.
Why a session ends up on a relay
Remio always tries the direct path first. A relay is the fallback, not the default. These are the situations that force it:
| Situation | What happens |
|---|---|
| Both devices on the same Wi-Fi | Always direct. Nothing to configure. |
| You are on cellular data, computer at home | Direct only if your router lets the traffic in. Otherwise relay. |
| Router has a strict NAT type | The router refuses to keep a predictable door open. Usually relay. |
| Your provider uses shared addresses (CGNAT) | Your home has no public address of its own. Port forwarding cannot help — see below. |
| Office, hotel, campus, or guest Wi-Fi | These networks commonly block direct connections outright. Relay is the correct answer there. |
A relayed session is still fully end-to-end encrypted — the relay only forwards sealed packets and cannot see your screen, your keystrokes, or anything else. The only cost is latency.
Remio starts sending over the relay immediately so your screen appears fast, then moves to the direct path as soon as it is ready. If the indicator says relay for the first few seconds and then changes, nothing is wrong — that is the design.
Why one port is enough
Remio carries the whole session — video, audio, and every keystroke and touch — through a single connection. There is no second channel to open, so a single forwarded port covers everything.
That port must be UDP. Remio does not use TCP for streaming at all, so a TCP forwarding rule does nothing. This is the single most common mistake, and the symptom is unmistakable: you did all the work and the session still relays.
Before you start — what supports this today
| Role | Supported | Not yet |
|---|---|---|
| Set the port on | iPhone, iPad, Mac | Android, Windows client |
| Computer being controlled | Mac | Windows, Linux |
If your computer is a Windows or Linux host, Remio will tell you plainly — you will see a message saying the computer does not support a custom port yet. Port forwarding on the router still helps those setups in general, but the guaranteed-port behaviour described here needs a Mac host for now.
Step 1 — Choose a port number
Any number from 1024 to 65535 works. Remio clamps anything outside that range as you type it.
- Pick something memorable and out of the way —
50000,51820,54321are all fine. - Avoid ports something else already uses on your network: 80, 443, 445, 3389, 32400 (Plex), 5000 and 7000 (AirPlay on macOS).
- Use the same number in all three places: the router rule, the Remio setting, and any firewall exception.
Step 2 — Find your computer's local IP address
The router needs to know which machine on your network to send the traffic to. That is the computer running Remio Host.
- macOS — System Settings → Network → Wi-Fi (or Ethernet) → Details → TCP/IP. Read the IP address, typically
192.168.1.42or10.0.0.8. - Windows — Settings → Network & internet → Wi-Fi or Ethernet → Hardware properties → IPv4 address.
- Linux — run
ip addrin a terminal and read the address on your active interface.
Home routers hand out local IP addresses on a lease. When the lease expires — or after a reboot — your computer can get a different address, and your forwarding rule then points at nothing. In your router, find DHCP reservation (sometimes "static lease" or "bind IP to MAC") and pin that address to your computer. It takes thirty seconds and saves a confusing afternoon later.
Step 3 — Forward the port on your router
Open your router's admin page in a browser — usually 192.168.1.1 or 192.168.0.1. The password is often printed on a sticker on the router itself. Then find the port-forwarding screen; every brand hides it somewhere slightly different:
| Router | Where the setting lives |
|---|---|
| ASUS | WAN → Virtual Server / Port Forwarding |
| TP-Link | Advanced → NAT Forwarding → Virtual Servers |
| Netgear | Advanced → Advanced Setup → Port Forwarding / Port Triggering |
| Linksys | Security → Apps and Gaming → Single Port Forwarding |
| D-Link | Features → Port Forwarding |
| Fritz!Box | Internet → Permit Access → Port Sharing |
| Google Nest Wifi | Google Home app → Wi-Fi → Settings → Advanced networking → Port management |
| eero | eero app → Settings → Network settings → Reservations & port forwarding |
| Ubiquiti UniFi | Settings → Routing & Firewall → Port Forwarding |
| Xfinity / Comcast | Xfinity app → WiFi → View WiFi equipment → Advanced settings → Port forwarding |
Create one rule with these values:
| Field | Value |
|---|---|
| Name / description | Remio |
| Protocol | UDP — not TCP, not "Both" if you can avoid it |
| External / public port | 50000 (the number you chose) |
| Internal / private port | 50000 — the same number |
| Internal IP / device | Your computer's local IP from step 2 |
Save, and let the router apply the change. Some routers reboot; most do not.
Step 4 — Tell Remio to use that port
The setting lives on the device you control from, and it applies to every computer you connect to.
- iPhone and iPad — open Remio, tap the gear on the Devices screen, then Network → Direct connection port. Type your number.
- Mac — Remio → Settings → Advanced → Direct connection port.
Leave the field empty to go back to automatic at any time. The change takes effect on your next connection, not the one you are in — disconnect and reconnect to apply it.
Step 5 — Check that it worked
Start a session from outside your home network — cellular data is the easiest test, and turn Wi-Fi off on your phone so it cannot cheat by being on the same network.
- Open the connection info panel from the in-session toolbar. The connection should read Direct rather than Relay.
- On Mac, the same panel shows a Direct Port row with the UDP port in use — that is your number, confirmed by the computer itself.
- If something went wrong, Remio says so in plain language rather than failing silently. See the next section.
What Remio tells you
| Message | What it means | What to do |
|---|---|---|
| No message, connection reads Direct | The computer is using exactly your port. | Nothing. You are done. |
| "Port N is in use on ‹computer›" | Another program on that computer already holds the port. | Pick a different number, update the router rule and the setting to match. |
| "‹computer› doesn't support a custom port yet" | That computer's Remio Host is too old, or it is a Windows or Linux host. | Update Remio Host on the computer. On Windows and Linux, this is not available yet. |
| "‹computer› needs a Remio Host update" | The request never reached the computer — old host version. | Update Remio Host on the computer. |
Set the port but still on relay?
Work down this list — in practice it is almost always one of the first three.
- The rule says TCP. Remio streams over UDP only. Change the protocol and reconnect.
- The computer's local IP changed. Reserve it in the router as described in step 2, then re-check the forwarding rule points at the current address.
- Two routers in a row. If your provider's modem is itself a router and your own Wi-Fi router sits behind it, the port must be forwarded on both, or the modem set to bridge mode. Sign that you have this: your router's WAN address starts with 192.168, 10., or 100.64 instead of a public address.
- Your provider uses CGNAT. Many mobile-first and fibre providers share one public address across many homes. No port forwarding can work through that. Ask the provider for a public address — often free on request — or enable IPv6, which sidesteps the problem entirely.
- The computer's own firewall blocks it. On macOS: System Settings → Network → Firewall → Options, add Remio Host and allow incoming connections.
- A VPN is running on the phone or the computer. VPNs re-route traffic and usually defeat direct connections. Turn it off for the test.
- You are on a network that blocks it. Hotels, offices, and campuses frequently block direct connections in both directions. Relay is the right answer there, and Remio picks the fastest relay path it can.
Port forwarding questions
Do I really only need to forward one port?
Yes. Remio carries the entire session — video, audio, keyboard, mouse and touch — through a single connection, so one forwarded UDP port covers all of it. There is no second port and no TCP port to open.
Should the rule be UDP or TCP?
UDP. Remio does not use TCP for streaming at all, so a TCP rule has no effect. Forwarding TCP by mistake is the most common reason people finish the setup and still end up on a relay.
Which port number should I pick?
Anything between 1024 and 65535 that nothing else on your network uses. 50000 is a good default. Avoid 80, 443, 445, 3389, 32400, and on a Mac also 5000 and 7000, which AirPlay uses.
Do I need this if both devices are on the same Wi-Fi?
No. On the same network Remio always connects directly and there is nothing to configure. Port forwarding only matters when you connect from outside — cellular data, another building, another city.
Is a relayed connection less secure?
No. Every session is end-to-end encrypted whether it goes direct or through a relay. The relay forwards sealed packets and cannot read your screen, your keystrokes, or anything else in the session. The only difference is latency.
My provider uses CGNAT. Can I still get a direct connection?
Not through port forwarding — with CGNAT your home has no public address of its own, so there is no door to open. Two things do work: ask your provider for a public address, which many give out free on request, or enable IPv6 on your network, which gives each device its own reachable address.
Why does Remio say the port is in use?
Another program on the computer already holds that UDP port, so Remio could not bind it and connected with an automatic port instead. Pick a different number, then update both the router rule and the Direct connection port setting to the new one.
Does this work when the computer is a Windows or Linux PC?
Not yet. Today the guaranteed-port behaviour needs a Mac as the computer being controlled; on Windows and Linux hosts Remio will tell you a custom port is not supported yet. Those setups still connect, and still go direct whenever the network allows it.
Do I have to change this every time I travel?
No. The setting is global and permanent — set it once. On your home network Remio connects directly anyway and simply ignores it; from outside, it uses the port you forwarded.
Related guides
- Advanced settings reference — every setting on that screen, explained.
- Streaming quality — bitrate, frame rate, and what to trade when the network struggles.
- Direct connections explained — how the direct path works and why it is faster.
- Firewall and NAT — corporate networks, allow-lists, and blocked UDP.
- Troubleshooting — the broader catch-all for connection problems.
