Once your Strada Agent is up and running, you can access and share your media without ever uploading to the cloud. But as your team grows, you’ll want the most reliable and high-quality experience possible. Here are the best practices for optimizing your Agent host.
1. Choose the Right Computer
Apple Silicon (Recommended)
• Strada Agents run best on Apple Silicon M-series machines (MacBook Pro, Mac Mini, Mac Studio).
• These chips convert video on-the-fly with speed and high quality.
• Laptops work fine, but desktops like Mac Minis and Mac Studios are more stable for 24/7 operation.Windows PCs
• Strada supports NVIDIA and ATI GPUs for streaming.
• Performance depends on the GPU card—better cards = higher quality playback.
• After installation, access the Agent from the lower menu bar.
• Always fully expand the Agent window to see all controls.
• Red Dot = No Connection → Quit, restart, and re-login.
• Right-click the Agent to check for updates and make sure all Agents are running the same version.
2. Find and Manage the Agent
On Mac
The Agent lives in the top menu bar.
On laptops, it may hide behind the built-in camera—close other apps if you don’t see it.
Hold Command+Click to move the Agent icon if your menu bar is crowded.
On Windows
Located in the lower menu bar.
Launch the Agent from there and log in.
3. Optimize Your Hardware Setup
Consider a stand-alone computer (Mac Mini or Studio) to act as a dedicated Agent host.
These machines are designed to run continuously, with multiple USB-C ports for external drives.
A monitor is not required—Agents can run in the background unattended.
4. Adjust Power and Sleep Settings
On laptops, disable sleep mode.
Enable “Wake for network access” to keep the Agent responsive.
Set external drives and RAIDs not to sleep.
Note: a restart may be required for this setting to take effect.If a RAID does fall asleep, Strada can wake it, but playback may take a few seconds.
5. Network Setup
Use a hardline (Ethernet) connection for best performance.
Strada automatically adapts video quality to your bandwidth, but wired connections deliver the most consistent results.
Rule of thumb: ~10 Mbps upload per simultaneous viewer.
6. Learn More and Get Support
Watch Episode 44 on the Strada Tech YouTube channel to see how much one computer can handle.
Review performance tests for different hardware on the Strada website.
Join our weekly onboarding sessions for live demonstrations.
Connect with our community and engineers on the Strada Discord.
The Bottom Line
Optimizing your Agent host ensures faster performance, higher quality playback, and a smoother experience for your entire team. With the right setup, Strada makes remote collaboration seamless.