Hive Streaming logoHive Streaming logo

Silent Testing

Silent Testing helps you verify network readiness and ensure video event success by running undetectable pre-event streaming tests that simulate a real live broadcast without disrupting end-users.

Overview

Silent Testing is a feature in Hive Streaming designed to assess how your network will handle live video events before the actual event takes place. By simulating real event conditions, Silent Testing helps identify poor network configurations or capacity bottlenecks, letting you fix them proactively. Tests are invisible to end-users—they experience no interruptions or prompts.

Silent Testing is available as both a self-service script (WebRTC) and as a white-glove managed service (Hive Agent). The results help you make informed decisions about your network setup and provide an opportunity to work with Hive support for addressing any issues found.

Silent Testing is typically used:

  • During initial network assessments to validate readiness for Hive Streaming

  • Before major events, after deployment, to verify performance at scale

  • For regular health checks or troubleshooting in ongoing production environments

Key concepts

Types of Silent Tests

Hive Agent Silent Testing

  • Requires the Hive Agent to be installed on endpoints.

  • Provides the most comprehensive reporting, including detailed endpoint data.

  • Fully managed by Hive; no action required from end-users.

  • Test can include all platforms supported by the Hive Agent.

WebRTC Silent Testing

  • No software installation required; runs as a script executed in supported browsers (Chrome, Edge, Firefox).

  • Suitable for Windows and Mac OS endpoints.

  • Reporting is comprehensive but may lack some detailed data (like endpoint OS or connection type).

  • Customers are responsible for distributing and running the test script.

  • Not as robust as Agent-based testing but still provides actionable insights.

  • Running multiple WebRTC tests on the same machine at once is not supported.

How Silent Tests Work

  • Simulate live streaming to selected devices without user awareness.

  • Network traffic mirrors a real event, allowing for realistic assessment.

  • Test parameters can include duration, targeted user/device count, bitrates, and platforms.

  • Once complete, Hive produces a Streaming Insights report detailing network performance and any issues found.

  • Optional troubleshooting and remediation support from Hive technical staff is available.

Reporting and Results

  • Results are accessible in Hive Live Monitor and Hive Insights (depending on test type).

  • Reports include overall performance analysis, identified issues, and suggestions for improvement.

Pre-requisites

Hive Agent Testing:

  • Hive Agent must be deployed to endpoints.

WebRTC Testing:

  • Supported browsers (Chrome, Edge, Firefox) with headless capability.

  • Script distribution tools (SCCM, GPO for Windows or JAMF, Intune for Mac) managed by customer IT.

  • Candidate endpoints must be online during the test window.

Limits and Behaviors

  • Hive Agent tests typically support up to 50,000 devices.

  • Tests must generally be requested 5 business days in advance; late requests are handled case by case.

  • WebRTC test results have some limitations due to browser data collection.

Next steps

Updated