{"id":"bridge-devices.what-do-direct-and-slower-mean-on-the-path-line","url":"/faq/bridge-devices/what-do-direct-and-slower-mean-on-the-path-line","category":{"id":"bridge-devices","title":"Bridge & your devices"},"subcategory":{"id":"connection","title":"Staying connected"},"question":"What does the Path line mean on a connected Bridge device?","alt_questions":["Bridge Path says Direct","Why does my device say slower on the Path line?","Direct vs slower Bridge link","What is the link quality in Bridge?","Bridge path not direct"],"short_answer":"“Direct” means your devices reach each other straight across — the fastest link. A slower path means there's no direct route between the networks, often due to a mobile hotspot; Bridge stays end-to-end encrypted, just slower.","answer_markdown":"The **Path** line shows how your two devices are reaching each other. **Direct** means they connect straight across — the fastest kind of link, and always the case on the same Wi-Fi.\n\nIf the Path is marked as slower, there's no direct route between the two networks, so traffic takes a longer way round. It's still fully end-to-end encrypted, just slower. This usually happens when one device is on a mobile hotspot.\n\nFor the best speed, put both devices on the same Wi-Fi. If one must stay on a hotspot, start the connection from that device.\n\n- [Why is my Bridge connection slow?](/faq/bridge-devices/why-is-my-bridge-connection-slow)","answer_html":"

The Path line shows how your two devices are reaching each other. Direct means they connect straight across — the fastest kind of link, and always the case on the same Wi-Fi.

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If the Path is marked as slower, there's no direct route between the two networks, so traffic takes a longer way round. It's still fully end-to-end encrypted, just slower. This usually happens when one device is on a mobile hotspot.

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For the best speed, put both devices on the same Wi-Fi. If one must stay on a hotspot, start the connection from that device.

\n","answer_text":"The Path line shows how your two devices are reaching each other. Direct means they connect straight across — the fastest kind of link, and always the case on the same Wi-Fi.\n\nIf the Path is marked as slower, there's no direct route between the two networks, so traffic takes a longer way round. It's still fully end-to-end encrypted, just slower. This usually happens when one device is on a mobile hotspot.\n\nFor the best speed, put both devices on the same Wi-Fi. If one must stay on a hotspot, start the connection from that device.\n\n- Why is my Bridge connection slow?","tags":["bridge","connection","speed"],"related":[{"id":"bridge-devices.why-is-my-bridge-connection-slow","question":"Why is my Bridge connection slow?","url":"/faq/bridge-devices/why-is-my-bridge-connection-slow"},{"id":"bridge-devices.why-wont-bridge-connect-on-a-mobile-hotspot","question":"Why won't Bridge connect when one device is on a mobile hotspot?","url":"/faq/bridge-devices/why-wont-bridge-connect-on-a-mobile-hotspot"}],"applies_to":"all","last_reviewed":"2026-10-01","title":"What does the Path line mean on a connected Bridge device? — Storage Studio FAQ","description":"“Direct” means your devices reach each other straight across — the fastest link. A slower path means there's no direct route between the networks, often due to a mobile hotspot; Bridge stays end-to-end encrypted, just slower.","crumbs":[{"name":"Home","path":"/"},{"name":"FAQ","path":"/faq/"},{"name":"Bridge & your devices","path":"/faq/bridge-devices/"},{"name":"What does the Path line mean on a connected Bridge device?","path":"/faq/bridge-devices/what-do-direct-and-slower-mean-on-the-path-line"}],"jsonld":{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"FAQPage","url":"https://storagestudio.us/faq/bridge-devices/what-do-direct-and-slower-mean-on-the-path-line","inLanguage":"en","dateModified":"2026-10-01","mainEntity":[{"@type":"Question","name":"What does the Path line mean on a connected Bridge device?","alternateName":["Bridge Path says Direct","Why does my device say slower on the Path line?","Direct vs slower Bridge link","What is the link quality in Bridge?","Bridge path not direct"],"acceptedAnswer":{"@type":"Answer","text":"The Path line shows how your two devices are reaching each other. Direct means they connect straight across — the fastest kind of link, and always the case on the same Wi-Fi.\n\nIf the Path is marked as slower, there's no direct route between the two networks, so traffic takes a longer way round. It's still fully end-to-end encrypted, just slower. This usually happens when one device is on a mobile hotspot.\n\nFor the best speed, put both devices on the same Wi-Fi. If one must stay on a hotspot, start the connection from that device.\n\n- Why is my Bridge connection slow?","url":"https://storagestudio.us/faq/bridge-devices/what-do-direct-and-slower-mean-on-the-path-line"}}]},"fragment":"
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Bridge & your devices · Staying connected

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What does the Path line mean on a connected Bridge device?

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Short answer: “Direct” means your devices reach each other straight across — the fastest link. A slower path means there's no direct route between the networks, often due to a mobile hotspot; Bridge stays end-to-end encrypted, just slower.

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The Path line shows how your two devices are reaching each other. Direct means they connect straight across — the fastest kind of link, and always the case on the same Wi-Fi.

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If the Path is marked as slower, there's no direct route between the two networks, so traffic takes a longer way round. It's still fully end-to-end encrypted, just slower. This usually happens when one device is on a mobile hotspot.

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For the best speed, put both devices on the same Wi-Fi. If one must stay on a hotspot, start the connection from that device.

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Last reviewed

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Related questions

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Also available as Markdown and JSON.

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