Oct 25, 2026  · 10 min read  · By The Rio Team

How to set up a second Rio as an extender (Rio Mesh)

Someone at a home desk setting up a second Rio next to its open box, with the Rio app Mesh screen on their phone

Updated October 29, 2026.

Time20+ minmostly waiting
You need2 Riosmain and extra
AlsoPaperclipand your phone
Careful stepStep 3new Rio only

An extra Rio carries your Wi-Fi into rooms your main Rio can't reach well. Five steps. Set both Rios up side by side, then move the extra one.

Only the NEW Rio becomes an extra Rio. Your main Rio keeps your internet. Mark the new one with a sticky note the moment it comes out of the box.

What do you need?

  • Your first Rio, already working. This is your main Rio.
  • Your second Rio, in the box. This becomes your extra Rio.
  • A straightened paperclip.
  • An Ethernet cable, to link the two Rios.
  • A sticky note or tape, to mark the new Rio.
  • Your phone, to read these steps. Use mobile data, because your home internet will be off for a while.

Your home internet is off for about 10 to 15 minutes while you do steps 2 and 3, because we unplug your main Rio on purpose. Pick a quiet time at home. You do not need the Rio app for these steps.

The 5 steps

Example: your main Rio is in the office and the extra Rio is going in the living room. Do steps 1 to 4 in the office, with both Rios side by side.

1

Check your main Rio is the main one

Most people have nothing to do here. A Rio that runs your home is already the main Rio.

To check, open the Rio app and tap Settings, then Mesh, then Change mesh setting. If Main Rio says Now and looks greyed out, that is good. It means you are done with this step. The greyed-out buttons are on purpose, so the app can't erase the Rio that runs your home.

Rio app Mesh screen with the Change mesh setting link circled in red
Tap Change mesh setting
Rio app Change mesh setting screen with the Main Rio option circled in red
Main Rio says Now? You are set

Only if Main Rio is not marked Now, tap it. Your Wi-Fi may drop for about a minute, so do it when nobody is on a call. You may also see an Add another Rio button. In the current app it opens a message to us, so you do not need it.

2

Unplug your main Rio and plug in the new one

About 5 min wait
  1. Stick a note on the new Rio so you never mix it up with your main one.
  2. Unplug your main Rio. This is on purpose. With it unplugged, you can't press a button on the wrong Rio. Your internet is off until step 3 is done.
  3. Plug in the new Rio, in another room if you like, and push the round ON/OFF button on the back.
  4. Wait about 5 minutes while it starts up.
What you should see The light on the new Rio flashes green while it starts up.
3

Turn the NEW Rio into an extra Rio

About 10 min wait

Only the NEW Rio. Never your main Rio. This erases the Rio you do it on and restarts it as an extra Rio. Your main Rio should be unplugged right now. Check you are holding the Rio with the sticky note.

  1. On the back of the new Rio, press and release the WPS button once. The light starts switching between blue and green. If it does not, stop and email us.
  2. While it is switching, push a paperclip into the tiny RESET hole and hold it for 5 seconds, until the light flashes red. Then let go.
  3. Wait about 5 minutes while it restarts as an extra Rio.
  4. Now plug your main Rio back in and wait about 5 minutes. Your internet comes back.

Nothing happened? Try again from the first press. Don't push the round ON/OFF button by mistake. It turns the Rio off. Press it once to turn it back on.

Back of a Rio with the WPS button and the RESET hole circled in red
WPS button and RESET hole on the back
What you should see The new Rio has restarted as an extra Rio, and your main Rio is back on with your internet.
Prefer to do this in the app? (longer, and riskier)

We suggest the buttons above. The app way erases whichever Rio it is used on, and the app can only reach the new Rio after you join the Wi-Fi from its label and sign in to it. If you sign in to the new Rio, the app may also point your account at the wrong Rio.

  1. Join the new Rio's own Wi-Fi from its label, then open the Rio app and sign in to the new Rio with the password on its label.
  2. Tap Settings, then Mesh, then Change mesh setting, then Extra Rio.
  3. Read the warning and tick This is my new Rio, not my main one. Then tap Erase and make extra Rio.
  4. Wait about 5 minutes while it restarts. The app can't open it after this. That is normal.

If the app says Not here next to Extra Rio, you are on a Rio that other devices are using. Stop. That is not your new Rio.

4

Link the two Rios

A few minutes

Pick one way. The cable is the simplest.

Option A: Cable
  1. Plug one end of the cable into one of the yellow ports labeled LAN1 or LAN2 on your main Rio. Never use the port labeled WAN. That one is for your modem.
  2. Plug the other end into any port on the second Rio.

Use one cable only. Never connect two cables between the same two Rios.

Back of a Rio with the ports labeled LAN1 and LAN2 circled in red
Use LAN1 or LAN2, never WAN
Option B: WPS buttons, no cable
  1. Press and hold WPS for 5 seconds on your main Rio, then let go. Its light switches between blue and green while it pairs.
  2. Within a couple of minutes, do the same on the second Rio.
  3. Expect flashing blue within a few minutes. If there is no solid blue after about 5 minutes, try again.
What you should see The light on the second Rio goes flashing blue while it joins, then solid blue when it is linked.
5

Move it to its spot

About 5 min wait
  1. If you used a cable, unplug it from both Rios. Rooms far apart? See where to put the extra Rio about keeping a cable in.
  2. Take the second Rio to its new spot and plug it in.
  3. Wait about 5 minutes, then check the light. Test your Wi-Fi in the room.

Your devices should keep using the same Wi-Fi name and password. You should not see a second network.

What you should see Solid blue in the new spot means you are done.

Solid blue? You're done.

Your Wi-Fi now reaches further. Not solid blue, or the room is still weak? Start with the spot below, then the checks in "If something is off".

Where should the extra Rio go?

Put it about halfway between your main Rio and the room with weak Wi-Fi. It must still get a good signal from the main Rio. A Rio placed in the weak room has nothing strong to pass on. Office to living room: a hallway or a shelf in the nearest open room works. Not in a closet, and not behind a TV or metal shelf.

Solid blueKeep it there.
Solid yellowThe link is weak. Move it closer to the main Rio.
Solid redIt lost the main Rio. Move it closer, then check the main Rio is on.

Give the light a few minutes after each move.

Rooms far apart, other floors, thick walls

  • Stay in the middle. Put the extra Rio between the two rooms, where the light stays solid blue. Don't push it into the far room.
  • Use a cable if you can. A cable from a LAN1 or LAN2 port on your main Rio to the extra Rio does not weaken with walls or floors. Rio's app shows extra Rios as "Linked by cable" when they use one. You can leave it in. We expect it to work, but we have not run one for weeks, so check the light after you plug it in. Use one cable only, and never two cables between the same two Rios.
  • Need more reach? One mesh holds up to 8 Rios. Add them one at a time, with the same steps.

Not sure which fits your home? Email us with a rough floor plan and we'll suggest a spot.

If something is off

Look at the light on the front of the second Rio.

What the lights mean
Light What it means What to do
Flashing green Starting up. Wait up to 5 minutes.
Flashing red Resetting. Let go of the paperclip and wait about 5 minutes.
Switching blue and green WPS pairing. Press WPS on the other Rio within a couple of minutes.
Flashing blue Joining your main Rio. Wait a few minutes.
Solid blue Linked. Good signal. Nothing. You're done.
Solid yellow Linked, but the signal is weak. Move it closer to your main Rio.
Solid red Lost your main Rio. Check the main Rio is on. Move closer or use the cable.
Switching blue and red Installing an update. Don't unplug it. Wait.
The light never turns solid blue
  1. Make sure the new Rio finished restarting. Give it about 5 minutes.
  2. Make sure the cable is in a port labeled LAN1 or LAN2 on the main Rio, not the port labeled WAN.
  3. Check that your main Rio is the main one (step 1) and that only the new Rio was reset in step 3.
  4. Try the other way, cable or WPS. For WPS, press both Rios within a couple of minutes of each other.
  5. Still no luck? Start the second Rio over. Hold the RESET hole for 10 seconds, wait 5 minutes, and begin again at step 2, with your main Rio unplugged.
I made my main Rio an extra Rio by mistake

Don't panic. Your main Rio has been erased, and your home's internet is down until you set it up again. The app usually stops you if devices are using that Rio, but don't count on it.

  1. Hold the RESET hole on that Rio for 10 seconds, then wait about 5 minutes.
  2. Join the Wi-Fi on the Rio's label, open the Rio app and set it up again.
  3. Your rooms, device list and Rio account link were erased. We can't promise they come back. Email us and we'll help.

Still stuck?

Email us if the light isn't solid blue after you've started over once, if it stays solid red, or if your Wi-Fi is still weak in the far room with a solid blue light. Include the light color, a photo of the light, and which step you were on.

Email Rio support

Quick questions

Will my devices see a second Wi-Fi name?

They should not. Every Rio in your mesh should share one Wi-Fi name and password.

Does the extra Rio need a cable?

No. It can link by Wi-Fi (WPS) or by cable.

Do my rooms and rules cover the extra Rio?

We have not confirmed that every rule applies to devices on the extra Rio. Your main Rio still runs your rooms, device approvals and Rio VPN.

How do I undo it?

Hold the RESET hole on the extra Rio for 10 seconds and wait about 5 minutes. Then set it up again like a new Rio.

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