ETS2 Convoy Server: Players Cannot Find or Join the Lobby
Friends cannot see or join your ETS2 Convoy server? Search by the search ID, then fix DLC and mod mismatches, the password, ports and the 8 player cap.
Updated Oct 7, 2026 · 8 min read
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When drivers cannot find a Euro Truck Simulator 2 Convoy server, have them search for the server's search ID (the part before the slash, printed in the server console at startup) instead of scrolling for the lobby name. When they can find it but the join fails, the cause is nearly always content: they are missing a DLC or mod listed in the server packages, they have a different version of a mod, or their game is on another build than the server. Wrong passwords, a full 8 player session and a blocked query port account for most of the rest.
If the server itself will not start or keeps closing, fix that first with ETS2 dedicated server not starting. Everything below assumes the console shows the server running.
Step 1: Can they see the lobby at all?
Separate "cannot find it" from "found it, cannot get in". They have different causes.
Search by ID, not by name
The Convoy session browser is long, filtered and slow to fill. The reliable way in is the search ID:
- Open the server console (on GamezServers, the live console in the panel) and find the line with
Session search idnear the start of the log. - Copy only the part before the slash. The part after the slash is the virtual port, not part of the ID.
- In the game, open Convoy from the main menu, go to the session browser and paste the ID into the search box.
Without a Steam logon token, the server gets a fresh anonymous ID every time it restarts, so last week's ID stops working. Home hosts fix that with a token made for app ID 227300 in server_logon_token. On GamezServers we create the token for you at setup, so the ID stays the same across restarts and you can pin it in your group chat.
Check the browser filters
If players prefer browsing by name, the filters in the session browser can hide your lobby:
- A filter that hides sessions with mods, while your packages include mods.
- A filter that hides full or password protected sessions.
- A language or region filter that does not match.
Also make sure the name they are searching for is the actual lobby_name. On GamezServers the panel's Lobby name setting writes lobby_name into server_config.sii on every start, so a name typed straight into the file gets replaced. Change it in the panel.
The lobby shows up as MISSING
Players sometimes see your lobby listed as MISSING, with only one DLC and no mods shown. That means the browser has not finished querying the server for its details. Searching by the search ID usually brings up the proper name and content list, and they can join from there. If it never resolves, the query port is not reachable (see Step 5).
Step 2: DLC and mod mismatch
This is the big one. The server packages list exactly which map DLC and mods the session runs, and the game checks every driver against that list before letting them in.
| What the player sees | Meaning | Fix |
|---|---|---|
A DLC marked as absent on server, for example not found DLC-DAF2021 - absent on server |
The game cannot match one of the player's DLC with what the server reports | See the note on free and truck DLC below |
| An orange icon on the session, or a list of missing mods when joining | The player is missing mods from the packages | Install the listed mods. Workshop mods can be subscribed through the Steam overlay from that screen |
Unable to join the session with mods active |
Mod versions differ, or a mod is required that the player does not have | Match versions, or make cosmetic mods optional |
| Map DLC greyed out or listed as required | The packages include a map DLC the player does not own | Buy it, or re-export the packages without it |
Free and truck DLC
Players on the SCS forum report errors about free DLC, such as a truck pack everyone is supposed to have. The usual fixes are to uninstall and reinstall that DLC from the game's Steam page, verify game files (right click the game, Properties, Installed Files, Verify integrity of game files), and avoid Steam Family Sharing, which can block free DLC from activating.
Mod versions must match exactly
Mods have to be identical, not just "the same mod". If the host updated ProMods or a truck mod and exported fresh packages, every driver needs that same update. The reverse happens too: a Workshop mod updates on players' PCs overnight, the server still has the old packages, and suddenly nobody can join. Re-export the packages after mod updates, following how to add mods to an ETS2 Convoy server.
Optional mods
Cosmetic mods do not have to block anyone. If a mod's manifest.sii contains mp_mod_optional: true, its author marked it optional for multiplayer. Set this in server_config.sii with the server stopped:
mods_optioning: true
Players can then join without those mods. Anyone who does use an optional mod still needs the same version as the server's packages.
Step 3: Game version and branch
Every driver must be on the same ETS2 build as the server. Right after a patch, some players update and some do not, and the ones who differ from the server are turned away.
- Ask everyone to check the version number in the bottom corner of the main menu.
- Anyone on the
public_betabranch (Steam, Properties, Betas) must switch back to the release build to join a release server. - If the server is behind, restart it. With Auto update on in our panel, the server pulls the new build on start. At home, run SteamCMD with
app_update 1948160 validate.
Step 4: Password
The join password is the password line in server_config.sii, up to 63 characters. Common mistakes:
- Editing the file while the server is running. The server reads it only when it starts, so stop it, save, then start.
- Sharing a password with a trailing space, or with quote marks. In the file the value sits between quotes:
password: "crew2026". Players type onlycrew2026. - Forgetting there is a password at all, because an old value is still in the file. Set
password: ""for an open lobby.
Step 5: Ports and the query port
A dedicated server uses two real ports that must be reachable from the internet, TCP and UDP:
| Setting in server_config.sii | Default | Used for |
|---|---|---|
connection_dedicated_port |
27015 | Players connecting to the session |
query_dedicated_port |
27016 | The browser asking for the lobby name, DLC and mod list |
connection_virtual_port (100) and query_virtual_port (101) are Steam networking ports in the 100 to 200 range, not router ports, so leave them alone. If the query port is closed, the lobby name and content list never load, which is where MISSING entries come from. On a home server, forward both ports with our port forwarding guide. On GamezServers, the panel writes both ports into the config on every start, so do not change those two lines by hand.
Two settings you may see in older guides do nothing here: SCS marks friends_only and show_server as not used for dedicated servers. Flipping them will not hide or reveal your lobby.
Step 6: The session is full
Convoy holds 8 drivers. That is the supported max_players value, and SCS does not support more. The ninth person gets turned away no matter what the server config says. Raising it means every single player edits g_max_convoy_size in their own game config, which is unsupported and can break things. If you regularly have more than 8 drivers, run two lobbies.
Also check moderators. If someone was kicked or banned by a moderator listed in moderator_list, they stay out of that session until the server restarts or the ban is lifted.
Quick triage table
| Symptom | Most likely cause |
|---|---|
| Nobody sees the lobby by name | Browser filters, or the query port is blocked |
| Search ID finds nothing | Old ID after a restart without a token, or the server is not running |
| Lobby shows as MISSING | Query port not answering yet, search by ID instead |
| One driver cannot join, others can | That driver's DLC, mods or game version differ |
| Nobody can join after a patch | Server or packages are on the old build |
| Ninth player refused | The 8 player limit |
A lobby that is always there
Most of these problems come from two things: the search ID changing and the host's PC going offline. A Euro Truck Simulator 2 server on GamezServers keeps one search ID because the Steam token is made for you, stays up when the usual host is offline, and lets you set the lobby name in the panel and edit server_config.sii in the file manager. Friends can split the bill instead of one person paying, and new customers get 50% off the first month.
FAQ
Why can my friends see my Convoy lobby but not join it?
Their DLC, mods or game version differ from the server packages. Compare the list the join screen shows, update to match, or re-export the packages from a setup everyone has.
Where do I find the ETS2 server search ID?
In the server console at startup, on the line containing Session search id. Share only the part before the slash.
Do players need the same DLC as the server?
They need every DLC and required mod included in the server packages. DLC that is not in the packages does not matter.
Can more than 8 players join an ETS2 dedicated server?
Not in a supported way. 8 is the official limit, and going higher needs every player to edit their own game config.
Is TruckersMP the same as a Convoy server?
No. TruckersMP is a separate multiplayer mod with its own servers. A Convoy server is SCS's official mode for your own group.
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