A technique that seeks to direct and re-direct streams of packets through a packet network without adversely affecting the quality of service of existing streams is disclosed. In accordance with the illustrative embodiment of the present invention, streams of packets that are directed and re-directed through a packet network are initially put on probation. During the probation period, a quality-of-service measure for the stream is compared with a threshold whose value is initially high and decreases with time. This has the advantageous affect of noticing problems quickly so that they can be remediated quickly.