The pre-stream ping test is the 60-second diagnostic that catches network problems before they hit your viewers. The test runs in a terminal or command prompt and reports whether your connection to the platform's ingest server is stable, fast, and packet-loss-free.

The implementation: open Terminal (Mac) or Command Prompt (Windows) and run a sustained ping against the ingest server hostname (your platform's documentation lists the closest ingest server's address). Let the ping run for 60 seconds. Watch the output.

The pass criteria: ping response times that stay consistent (within a tight band), no spikes above 100 ms, and zero packet loss across the test period. Any of those failing is a signal to debug the network before going live.

The test catches three categories of problem: a degraded connection from your ISP, a misconfigured router that is dropping packets, and a regional issue with the platform's ingest server. The pre-stream test is the cheapest insurance. Run it. If it fails, debug. If it passes, go live.