Is it possible to determine how many viewers a web stream has in real time

[DB83]

Now this relates NOT to one's own website since I know that analytics are available but for a site you might visit with its own webstream.

I ask this since reading another forum a poster claims to have this info - he provides no method how he obtained it.


But here is the bit that makes me doubt his claim. He states he had identical results at different times and on different days. Which makes me think that the utility is not reporting connections but the actual packets sent.


Sure I could ask in that forum but the poster has never posted on that sub-forum before and may never do again especially if he is trolling the regulars.


Any thoughts on this or pointers if such software exists (one would still need to find the actual server and not the page that displays the feed)

[Selur]

No, unless you have some way to monitor what is happening on the server.

[DB83]

Thanks. That is what I suspected.

[thecoalman]

Possible but unlikely. Years ago I messed around with Icecast and it could produce statistic pages like that. I don't recall if they were password protected.

[DB83]

Interesting. And I would expect any server to have PWP. Even the site that shows the stream might have to ask the hosting server for the info.

Well I have challenged the guy that produced the stats. If he provides some clarification I will report back.

[thecoalman]

Most sites are going to be using third party service but Icecast(and other streaming applications available) would be standalone. You need root access to install and run it. You aren't going to do it with shared hosting hence the reason a lot of sites will use third party.

Note that anyone can serve audio/video even with shared hosting but it's direct file download. You can only FF to point that has been downloaded and "live" audio is not available.