A Guide to creating a Locked Lobby for GTA Online

[faithnomore12]

Hello all, I created this account because I wanted to share a method that a member of my crew founded a while back. (pceo) This method can actually help out other players and crews when they want to work in peace for GTA Online. This method below is steps to create a "locked lobby". A locked lobby is, custom public lobbies that have a much higher success rate in preventing less randoms, non-crew members from joining. If you want to work solo, or make a lobby for your crew or friends, then you can use this method below to get work done in peace. Also, there's another method which is the "NAT Test". This second method is not locked but it's an alternative.  Note: This works for xbox one. It might work for ps4 as well.

How To Create a LOCKED LOBBY – WIFI/WIRED method:

 

1. If you do not already have WIFI and wired configured on your xbox: Enable wifi connection, confirm it works on WIFI by going online, then plug Ethernet cable back in, confirm it works too, keep the Ethernet plugged in.
2.  
3. First Restart the Xbox. A proper full restart NOTE: If you’re using “instant on” power mode then your xbox does not restart when you hit the button, so in this case you need to force a restart by pressing the guide button on the controller, go to settings, select Restart Console, and confirm.
    
4. With Ethernet cable plugged in, start GTA. After you load into story mode, just go to the dashboard and force quit GTA. There is no timing, just do it any time after you see load into story mode.
    
5. Unplug your ethernet cable.
    
6. Wait for Xbox to stabilize and let it sign itself into to Xbox Live (via Wifi).
    
7. Launch GTA Online and load into a populated session.
    
8. Plug ethernet cable back in and make your character walk around.
    
9. Everyone will leave your session, in which case you’re done – the lobby is locked.

 

You should have a locked lobby. You can test to see how stable it is by inviting a couple friends or crew mates to it. (Excess use of your internet connection, either upload, or download, or streaming video will affect other players in your lobby and could cause splits and disconnects.)

NOTES: If your lobby gets “superlocked” meaning people can not join, they get stuck in the clouds forever trying to join, or everyone gets a “timeout” error trying to get in. You can try to break the superlock by going to a security camera or tv and watching it. This has been found to break the superlock for many of our hosts. The lobby returns to normal and you can continue what you were doing or go AFK.

Very Important, How to AFK: Go to any apartment or your ceo office, sit down in front of the TV, and then press right on the d-pad again to “watch TV”. (Once you crated a locked lobby, you'll need to AFK if you plan on being in the session for hours.)


Second Method: Testing Your NAT Type – NOT a locked lobby

 

1. Whilst in-game, simply go to your Xbox Dashboard.
2. Go to Settings
3. Go to Network Settings
4. Test NAT type
5. Once the test is completed, return to GTA and everyone should leave the session

 

It’s also worth considering that randoms tend to join sessions after about 5+ people are in the lobby (R* matchmaking prioritizes busy lobbies to place players into). So, if you want to play with people in an unlocked lobby, Invite no more than 3 or 4 friends into the lobby (enough for 1 or 2 organizations)

Edited September 19, 2019 by faithnomore12

[Rumblebud]

I guess R* matching isn't half-bad, after I get separated into a solo session, it tends to stay empty for quite some time, until I restart the game.

[Sanches]

Thanks.

[xboxplayerboy]

I tried the wifi/wired method and it works

 

Edit: i mean for xbox one.

Edited September 18, 2019 by xboxplayerboy

[teltow]

Has anyone tested this on PS4 yet?

Edited September 18, 2019 by teltow

[Pedinhuh]

The first method seems to be new, and I like the idea of making sure that no other player joins my sessions.

 

But the MTU method is still the best for me.

[IsekaiExpress]

This information can be benificial for console users, thank you.

Although i'm a PC player, maybe a Lagswitch method could be of any use, too?

You need to pull of some isolation from your patch cable and install a breaker, that is closed in resting position (NormalOpen) on orange wire and use it to disconnect the orange wire for 8 seconds to cause a package loss and disconnect. Don't use it for too long, or you'll diconnect completely and land in SP.

Edit: as it turned out, the consoles have a voltage detector, so they can detect a lagswitch, if it's not connected through additional router.

Edited September 21, 2019 by Polynoid

[Geisterfaust]

Just use your own router to block the ports via firewall, that's the most simple method, but you need to own a router that allows this stuff and as far as I know a lot of people in North America are using proprietary crap from their backward ISPs. Basically, any router with DD-WRT firmware will solve all of your issues and more.

[saintsrow]

On 9/18/2019 at 8:27 AM, Pedinhuh said:

The first method seems to be new, and I like the idea of making sure that no other player joins my sessions.

 

But the MTU method is still the best for me.

Setting MTU to 800 whenever I need to sell product in a public session is my favorite thing.  No bastards in the session but me.  But MTU won't let your friends / crew join for co-op stuff, so that's a problem.