To make a Euro Truck Simulator 2 (ETS2) or American Truck Simulator (ATS) multiplayer server private, enable a private Convoy session and protect it with a password, or set a non-empty password in the official dedicated server’s server_config.sii. Then share the exact session name and password only with the people you want to admit.
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Password protection controls who can join. It does not by itself hide the session from search results, keep a hosted Convoy online when the host leaves, or solve network reachability. Those are separate settings and operating choices.
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ETS2 and ATS offer three practical ways to run a restricted multiplayer session. Your choice depends mainly on whether the host must remain online and whether you want to administer a server yourself.
| Choice | Best for | Privacy control | Availability | Main trade-off |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hosted Convoy | One-off drives or a small group that plays together | Private session plus password | Only while the host is running the session | Fast to set up, but dependent on the host |
| Official dedicated server | A persistent group server | password in server_config.sii and controlled sharing |
Can remain online without players | Requires installation, configuration and network administration |
| Managed hosting | An always-on server without maintaining your own machine | Password setting in the provider’s control panel | Depends on the provider’s service | Recurring cost and provider-specific features |
SCS Software describes Convoy as supporting private sessions with optional passwords. Its dedicated-server documentation describes an always-running server as a principal advantage of that model.
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What “private” actually controls
There are three different questions behind the word private:
- Can an unknown player join? A password is the primary control. Do not distribute it publicly.
- Can an unknown player find the session? A distinctive name, private sharing and any available unlisted or private presentation reduce casual discovery. They are not a replacement for a password.
- Can the game reach the server? NAT, a public IP address and port forwarding affect reachability. A correctly configured password cannot fix a blocked network path.
Use all applicable controls together: make the session private, set a strong unique password, give invitees the exact name, and configure networking when you self-host a dedicated server.
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A normal Convoy is the simplest choice when one player can host each driving session. The host must be in the session for it to exist.
1. Open the Convoy hosting flow
- Start ETS2 or ATS and enter the multiplayer or Convoy hosting flow from the current game menu.
- Select the option for creating or hosting a Convoy.
- Choose the private-session option when it is shown by your installed game version. Menu wording can change between releases.
2. Set a unique password
Use a long passphrase that is used only for this Convoy. Never reuse your personal Steam, email or other account password. A password prevents an unwanted player who discovers the session from joining, but anyone who receives it can share it, so distribute it only through a private channel.
3. Give the session a distinctive name
Choose a name that is easy for your group to recognize but unlikely to be confused with another Convoy. Send the exact spelling to invitees, including capitalization, spaces, symbols, numbers, punctuation and abbreviations. SCS’s Convoy FAQ specifically advises players to search for the session name exactly as written.
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4. Invite players and keep the password separate
Send the name and password directly to the intended players. If the current game interface provides direct invitations, use them as an additional access-control step rather than relying on an open listing. Give the password only after confirming that the recipient belongs in the group.
5. Start the drive and manage access
After players join, check the lobby roster before departing. Remove anyone you do not recognize and change the password before the next session if it has been shared more widely than intended. A hosted Convoy ends when the host stops running it, so it is not an always-on server.
Run the official dedicated server privately
The official dedicated-server tools are available for both games. SCS identifies the Steam app ID for the ETS2 Dedicated Server as 1948160 and the ATS Dedicated Server as 2239530. They can be installed from Steam’s Tools list; SCS also documents SteamCMD installation.
1. Install the correct tool
- Open Steam, switch the library filter to Tools, and install the dedicated-server tool matching your game.
- If you administer the machine without the normal Steam client, use the SteamCMD method described in SCS’s dedicated-server documentation.
- Install the server on a machine that can remain powered on and connected whenever your group expects to play.
2. Launch it once to generate its files
Run the server once before editing anything. The first launch creates the server home directory and the generated server_config.sii. The exact folder location depends on the installation and account used to run the tool; use the path shown by your installed release.
3. Edit server_config.sii
Stop the server, open server_config.sii in a plain-text editor and set a non-empty password. The documented syntax is:
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password: "use-a-unique-passphrase"The documented password field accepts up to 63 characters. Keep the value inside quotation marks and avoid accidentally adding a second password entry. A passphrase that is unique to this server is safer than a short word or a reused credential.
4. Review the other access-related fields
The same configuration includes the lobby name, player limit and virtual and dedicated connection/query ports. A representative set of fields is:
lobby_name: "Your distinctive private lobby"
password: "use-a-unique-passphrase"
max_players: 8
connection_virtual_port: ...
query_virtual_port: ...
connection_dedicated_port: ...
query_dedicated_port: ...Do not replace the port values with guesses. Use the values generated for your installed release and the bundled readme. The Modding Wiki reference documents max_players: 8; because limits and defaults can change, verify the generated configuration before relying on that number for a current server.
5. Save and restart
Save the file, then restart the dedicated-server process. Treat the restart as required: the running process must reload the file before a changed password or lobby name takes effect. If the server still accepts an old password, stop it completely, confirm that you edited the active server’s configuration, and start it again.
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6. Share search details privately
Give players the exact lobby name and the password through a private channel. Tell them which game and region they should be searching in, and make sure they use the name exactly as configured. SCS recommends maintaining a known-players list for administrative controls; use the dedicated server’s known-player mechanism to register moderators or other trusted players where appropriate.
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Dedicated-server visibility and NAT
A dedicated server can be password-protected and still fail to appear in a browser. Privacy and reachability are separate.
Public browser visibility
The official dedicated-server reference says a server needs a public IP address or port forwarding to appear in the session browser. If the machine is behind a router or carrier-grade NAT, other players may not see it in a public listing even though the process is running.
Direct search behind NAT
The same reference says direct search can work when the server is behind NAT. In that situation, give players the exact lobby name and password and test a direct search rather than assuming that missing browser visibility means the server is offline.
Port forwarding
If you need browser visibility or reliable inbound access, forward the connection and query ports shown in the generated server_config.sii to the computer running the server. Port numbers and compatibility can change with updates, so use the installed release’s configuration and bundled readme as the authority. Also allow the server executable through the machine’s firewall on the relevant network profile.
Testing from outside the host network
Test with a friend on a different internet connection or a suitable external connection. A test performed from the same local network can succeed even when external players cannot connect because of NAT loopback or firewall behavior.
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Keep a private server private in practice
- Use a unique passphrase. Do not reuse an account password, and replace it if it is posted in a public chat.
- Limit distribution. Send credentials only to the intended group, preferably through direct messages or another private channel.
- Use a distinctive lobby name. Exact-name searching reduces accidental joins and helps your players select the right session.
- Separate roles. Give moderation privileges only to trusted people through the dedicated server’s known-player controls.
- Change credentials after a leak. Edit the password, restart the dedicated server and send the new value only to current players.
- Back up configuration safely. Keep a private copy of the working file, but do not upload it to a public repository or paste the password into screenshots.
- Keep the tool current. Updates can change menu labels, limits, ports or networking behavior. Recheck the generated configuration after an update.
Troubleshoot the most common failures
| Symptom | Likely cause | What to check |
|---|---|---|
| The session appears, but an unknown player can join | No password, an incorrect password entry or a password that was shared publicly | Confirm the private-session setting or the non-empty password field, restart the dedicated server and issue a new password. |
| Friends cannot find the lobby by name | Name mismatch, wrong game, browser visibility limits or network reachability | Copy the exact lobby name, including punctuation; try direct search; then check the generated ports, firewall and port forwarding. |
| The dedicated server accepts the old password | The process was not restarted or the wrong configuration file was edited | Stop the server, verify its active home directory, save the intended file and start the process again. |
| The server is running but absent from the public browser | No public IP or port forwarding, blocked query port or NAT restrictions | Check the official configuration’s query port, router forwarding and firewall rules. Use direct search if the server is intentionally behind NAT. |
| The host’s friends are disconnected when the host leaves | A hosted Convoy was used instead of a dedicated server | Keep the Convoy host online, or move the group to an official dedicated server that can continue running without players. |
| A configuration change has no effect | Invalid syntax, duplicate entries or an edit made while the process was running | Compare the file with the generated format, keep one value for each field, save a backup and restart. |
Hosted Convoy or dedicated server?
Choose a hosted Convoy when
- You play occasional sessions and the same person can host each time.
- You want the shortest setup: private option, password and invitations.
- You do not need the world to remain online between drives.
Choose the official dedicated server when
- Players need to join at different times without waiting for one host.
- You want a persistent lobby that can remain online with no players connected.
- You are comfortable editing a configuration file, restarting a process and handling firewall or router settings.
Choose managed hosting when
- You need an always-on server but do not want to maintain a server PC or network.
- You have confirmed that the provider supports the game version, password controls, player limit and administrative features your group needs.
- You have compared the recurring cost and cancellation terms before committing.
A hosted Convoy does not require a dedicated server, router purchase, steering wheel, shifter or special gaming hardware. Those items may improve play or hosting convenience, but none of them makes a session private.
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Limits, versions and changing labels
SCS’s 2021 Convoy FAQ cites “up to 8 players,” while the dedicated-server configuration reference lists max_players: 8. Treat both as documented reference values rather than a guarantee for every current release. Check the lobby’s current limit and the generated configuration after updates.
The Convoy FAQ dates from 2021 and the dedicated-server announcement from 2022. Current menus, server versions, networking behavior and field defaults may differ. When a label or value in the game disagrees with an older description, follow the installed game’s UI, generated server_config.sii and bundled readme.
Quick private-server checklist
- Choose hosted Convoy or dedicated server based on whether the session must stay online without the host.
- Enable the private-session option for a Convoy, or set a non-empty
passwordinserver_config.sii. - Use a unique password of no more than 63 characters for the documented dedicated-server field.
- Set a distinctive lobby name and send its exact spelling to invitees.
- Share the password privately and use direct invitations or known-player controls where available.
- Restart the dedicated server after every configuration edit.
- For browser visibility, verify public IP or port forwarding, firewall rules and the generated connection/query ports.
- If browser listing fails behind NAT, test direct search with the exact lobby name.
- Recheck limits, labels and networking against the installed release after updates.
The Bottom Line
For a single group drive, use a private Convoy with a unique password. For an always-on ETS2 or ATS session, install the matching official dedicated-server tool, set password in server_config.sii, restart it, and handle lobby visibility and NAT separately from password protection.
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