Do you need to use Netcode for Gameobjects and a Network Manager alongside lobbies?

Unity Services
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1

Hello,
I am new to using unity and am trying to create a multiplayer lobby system.
Currently I have a way for players to join a lobby, but I am unsure if I am supposed to use a NetworkManager to start a host at the same time.

Line 3 is what I am unsure of if I need. This function is linked to a button in the UI of my scene. I know this function is doing a lot, and I am probably doing something in an inefficient way, but I can figure that out later.
The function starts a host, sets a lobby name, creates a private lobby, sets the lobby to visible, shows the lobby name, and lobby code, and spawns a prefab (image and text) that shows what player is in the lobby (currently just shows the host), and sets that prefab as a child of a GridLayoutGroup.

public async void CreateLobby()
    {
        NetworkManager.Singleton.StartHost();

        var callbacks = new LobbyEventCallbacks();
        //callbacks.LobbyChanged += OnLobbyChanged;

        if (string.IsNullOrEmpty(lobbyName.text.Trim()) || string.IsNullOrWhiteSpace(lobbyName.text.Trim()) || lobbyName.text == "")
        {
            lobbyName.text = await AuthenticationService.Instance.GetPlayerNameAsync() + "'s Lobby";
        }


        CreateLobbyOptions options = new CreateLobbyOptions();
        options.IsPrivate = true;

        Lobby lobby = await LobbyService.Instance.CreateLobbyAsync(lobbyName.text, playerCount.value, options);
        hostLobby = lobby;

        try
        {
            await Lobbies.Instance.SubscribeToLobbyEventsAsync(hostLobby.Id, callbacks);
        }
        catch (LobbyServiceException e)
        {
            Debug.Log(e);
        }

        Debug.Log($"Created {lobby.Name} with {lobby.MaxPlayers} players");
        lobbyCreationStuff.SetActive(false);

        lobbyScreen.SetActive(true);
        lobbyScreenName.text = lobby.Name;
        lobbyCode.text = lobby.LobbyCode;


        GameObject d = Instantiate(playerCardPrefab);
        d.GetComponentInChildren<TMP_Text>().text = playerName;
        d.transform.SetParent(cardHolder.transform);

    }
2

When using Unity Lobby and Unity Netcode for Game Objects you should think of them with a separation of concerns. The Unity Lobby is used to group players together, when ready you would then launch the NGO game server, share the connection info within the Lobby data (ip address, websocket, Unity Relay, dedicate game server, etc.) and have the players connect with that information. So in short, no you do not need to use the NetworkManager to start a host, only do that after you are ready to start the game.

Are you planning on a client/host architecture using a listen server (e.g. Unity Relay) or dedicated game servers? There are a good number of examples out there. These 3 videos from CodeMonkey give a good walkthrough of NGO, Lobby, and Relay and how you would integrate them:

COMPLETE Unity Multiplayer Tutorial (Netcode for Game Objects)

Making a MULTIPLAYER Game? Join your Players with LOBBY!

How to use Unity Relay, Multiplayer through FIREWALL! (Unity Gaming Services)