It appears that users are being banned from 3DS online services, en masse. There's no direct cause right now, and seemingly no linking factor. This post is meant as an announcement for users, to be wary, and that GBAtemp will keep you updated as soon as more info rolls in. If you have been banned, please post in the thread below, and we will try to keep tabs on the situation. To be extra sure, it can't hurt to turn off your 3DS's wireless capabilities, so you might as well do that for now.

Edit 1: it appears that e-Shop access isn't restricted if you are banned.

Edit 2: A caller to Nintendo reported that the company said this ban is due to "unauthorized software usage".

Edit 3: @LinkSoraZelda is collecting info. Contact him if you are banned.

Edit 4: Click and fill this out if you were BANNED.

Edit 5:

[11:28:19 PM] Clector: Curiously the page of that error in Nintendo Support website used to have this:Error Code: 002-0102 Situation: You receive the error code 002-0102 when attempting to connect online. What to Do: If you continue to experience this issue, please contact Nintendo by calling 1-800-255-3700. Representatives are available from 6 a.m. to 7 p.m., Pacific Time, 7 days a week.
[11:28:44 PM] Clector: Now it says this: What to Do: If you are experiencing this error code, your Nintendo 3DS family system has been banned due to unauthorized system modifications, play of unauthorized versions of one or more games, and/or connecting to the official game servers in violation of our terms of service. This ban is effective immediately and requests to remove the ban will not be processed.

Thanks to @Joom

Edit 6: Aurora Wright is taking another poll here

Edit 7: Not a lot is known but

There are bans happening, they are happening in all regions.
All models in the 3ds family seem to be candidates for banning.
There is no indication they will be anything other than permanent.
A game or DLC may end up being a cause but there is no one game or DLC that ties banned users together.
The cause or causes are as yet unknown, though it does seem to be related to modifications. Reports of unmodified consoles being banned are as yet unproven.
The banning is tied to something you can modify, thus you can unban. Doing it while the causes are unknown is likely only going to burn a working token though.
There are semi public tokens out there, Nintendo knows how to browse a forum as well as you so don't be surprised if they also get banned.
It does not seem to be limited to a given base firmware version, it does not seem to be limited to any one custom firmware type. There is some speculation that older hacking methods are not being hit as hard but nothing to confirm this yet.
The data collection could have happened this morning, or it could have been months in the making.
A simple check to see is checking your friends list, by itself it will not ban you.
Some are turning their wifi off. It is doubtful this will be of much use and being banned does not seem to come with any downsides that wifi being off will not also mimic.
You may have escaped a ban thus far but it could happen at any point. It could be that they stop in the future, it has happened on other consoles, but you would be living in hope rather than any particularly well founded logic.
The bans are done on the side of Nintendo's servers rather than your 3ds so there is also that.

If you hack your devices/games then their online functionality may be troubled. This has been known for decades, Nintendo seems to have finally caught up with that.

Please continue to share information with the thread or the links in previous edits.

Update 5/30

HOW TO HELP AVOID BANS (we think)​

If I was to guess from the information we have gathered since the ban wave, it seems likely that they are looking for TitleIDs that don't exist. Homebrew shows up in the activity log as the Download Play app, and fake CIA's show up as just ??????. That last one is what I'm guessing they are looking for.

If you are not banned yet or before you unban yourself, go into your friends list, choose settings, and turn off the option to "show friends what game you are playing." This will prevent you from playing games online with friends, so turn it back on when you wanna game with someone, but ALWAYS keep it off when running custom CIAs. Next, go into system settings -> internet settings -> spotpass, and turn off BOTH options. One is auto download software, the other sends system information to Nintendo. Also, make sure you don't have your favorite title set to something stupid like FBI or any other non-Nintendo CIA.

Its VERY likely that these options are what tipped off Nintendo, but we aren't 100% certain yet. The amount of banned people that had one of these options turned on was over 80% for each. If I was to assume that some of those people overlap, its very possible (but not confirmed) that 100% of banned people in the survey had at least one of those options turned on. I personally had all of them off and I have TONS of reasons for Nintendo to ban me.... yet I am not banned (yet).

Another bit of advice: Only run custom CIAs when offline, and after you close them, run a "legit" game like Smash Bros. or something before shutting down or going back online. This way your most recent title won't show up as a fake CIA

Current Theories as to what causes a ban
​

* SpotPass Settings: 8 users out of 46 users that were banned have SpotPass completely shut off, or SpotPass only (no friends list visibility)
* Firmware Version (Luma, Nintendo): Literally all reports ranged from 10.2+, I can get exact numbers for this if you'd like, but all firmwares were affected.
* Firmware Type (A9LH, B9S): 44 of the 126 B9S users that answered were banned, pattern was mirrored for A9LH users as well.
* Homebrew Titles such as FBI, HBL, Luma Updater, Themely, and freeShop: Literally about 98% of users both banned and unbanned had some combination of these applications installed. However the common ones were: FBI, HBL, LumaUpdater and NTR.
* Save Modification: Equal amounts of users on both sides have reported save modification in some form, either with PKSM or another save editor
* System Transfers: 188 users said that they had not previously system transfered, 61 of those users were banned; 16 users said they transferred from a hacked console, only three of them received a ban; 13 said they transferred from a stock system and likewise were banned. The rest of our sample did not answer this question.
* Activity Log Information: A majority of those who have not been banned have said they had NOT cleaned their activity logs. I can get exact numbers for this too on request.

This information is just what I've found. Like I said, there could be variables or things we haven't even checked for yet. But these are things that I feel should be disproven, at least with the current dataset we have.

• From the information that we've gathered from some people that have used a packet sniffer such as WireShark, the following data is sent to Nintendo's online gaming servers as soon as the 3DS connects to the internet:
  • Amount of time spent online (timer stops when either the system is disconnected from the internet, or connection drops out, then starts the timer again in a new session when it reconnects to the internet).
  • The game being played and amount of time spent on it during that session.
  • The console's unique hexadecimal ID used in the LocalFriendCodeSeedB, along with it's RSA-signed signature.
  • The console's serial number in which is broadcasted from the SoC and is hard coded in the SoC.
  • Friend Code generated on the Nintendo 3DS system, if one has been generated.
  • Internet connection status (either online or offline).
  • The Nintendo Network ID, if there is one linked to it.
  • Even if the sending of SpotPass Information is switched off, or even hiding your currently playing games. It does not prevent the system from sending currently playing information to Nintendo's online gaming servers, it only hides it from your friends in your friend list (like being invisible on the forum, while mods and admins can still see you). Why? Because even people without a Friend Code on their system have been getting banned too!

• The following data is NOT sent to Nintendo's online gaming servers:
  • The data from the Nintendo 3DS's Activity Log. Oddly enough, while Nintendo does explicitly state that they collect Activity Log data, they're actually referring to their own server's Activity Log, which always tracks every console's online activity, and keeps a record of them that is stored forever. And is only collected in increments of data through a timer and a currently playing list.
    
  • Games or apps that have not been played, regardless if they're legitimate or not. You only get tracked when you're online and using that game or app.
  • Using games or apps while offline. Even though it is stored on the 3DS console's Activity Log, that data is NOT sent to Nintendo's online gaming servers.
  • Custom Firmware. Though we can't rule out the possibility of them releasing a 3DS update in the future that adds such function to collect MD5 hashes of files and FIRM data and send them to Nintendo online gaming servers (which would also be updated in a maintenance).

• Things that people think what happens with consoles, but really doesn't:
  • "LocalFriendCodeSeedB is transferred to the system upon doing a system transfer". This is false, the LocalFriendCodeSeedB remains on the system and does not move to another system.
  • "The console generates a LocalFriendCodeSeedB upon first startup". Again, this is false, the LocalFriendCodeSeedB is made during the manufacturing process at Foxconn. It is generated at the factory, flashed to the NAND flash memory storage, then created as an account on Nintendo's online gaming server and Nintendo eShop server immediately when being manufactured. It is absolutely impossible to generate a LocalFriendCodeSeedB and be able to connect to Nintendo's online gaming server and/or Nintendo eShop server, even if you knew the RSA generation key for it. You'd end up with Error Code 002-0102 "This console's online services have been restricted by Nintendo" if you even tried (the error can either mean two things: The hexadecimal ID doesn't exist on the server, or the request to access the hexadecimal ID has been denied which in other words... banned). So a LocalFriendCodeSeedB generator will NEVER happen! Because it's not worth doing, if it can't connect.
  • Switching off "Currently Playing" information. Once again, this does not hide your online activity from Nintendo's online gaming server, it only hides it from your friends.
  • Switching off SpotPass. Nope, this too doesn't hide your online activity from Nintendo's online gaming server, it only opts-out of receiving SpotPass data, sorry.

So pretty much the bottom line is, if anyone has been using custom apps and/or titles not installed through Nintendo eShop while online in the past, guess what? You're screwed! And it is only a matter of time before your console's unique hexadecimal ID in the LocalFriendCodeSeedB is banned from Nintendo's online gaming server. This will mean, your console can't access the Friend List or play any online functions in games.

If you have been online while using custom apps and/or titles not installed through Nintendo eShop and haven't been banned yet, that's because Nintendo hasn't caught up to you yet. They're still going through each unique hexadecimal ID's Activity Log on their server, and by Activity Log, I mean the Activity Log on their server, not the 3DS console's activity log. And it will be only a matter of time before you're banned too.

Thanks to @Platinum Lucario @MadMageKefka and @ShadowEO !

 

[Lumince]

Welllll im screwed I only really used FTP and I needed internet for that soooo this sucks... They will see that and all of the other homebrew ive used :/ Looks like its only a matter of time until Im banned then. All well I suppose. I dont even use my 3ds anymore, but it does have my nnid on it :/ I hope it doesnt effect my switch in any way.

 

[delete12345]

I honestly couldn't be fucked, it's probably 100+ pages back at this point and I'm far too lazy to find them.

You were actually one of the people who asked me tho lol.

Did I?

Well then... Mystery solved!

 

[MushGuy]

I don't know, however I know they have played modded smash weekly online as well as MH. While I don't think either of these games for them were pirated, I know they used them online. I also believe they used the LumaUpdater which apparently is one of the flags to get banned.

Also just to add, plenty of people who haven't touched there 3ds in a long time, long before B9S was released have been banned. So as much as I would love the bans to be that as I am a B9S day one installer, I highly doubt it is

Which would place them into the "never updated to B9S" banlist because they still had unsigned CFW, according to my theory, unless I'm missing something. As for the former, when was the last time they played these games?

 

[Deleted User]

Quite interesting, but does it mean anything 100%?

--------------------- MERGED ---------------------------


Wouldn't that also mean that all A9LH users would be banned, because I know of a few who arnt...

Yes, nearly 100 percent, except some fields like unknown data and content index.
If updating games through eshop checks installed ticket, maybe this will be one of the factors that leading to be banned..

 

[Grifnelle]

Which would place them into the "never updated to B9S" banlist because they still had unsigned CFW, according to my theory, unless I'm missing something. When was the last time the former played these games?

I believe it was the Friday and Saturday before the bans. Btw they are NOT banned (yet)
Just so I'm clear, your theory is that people who updated to B9S on day one won't be banned because Nintendo didn't have the ability to track B9S, and then everyone who said on A9LH and also all those who updated to B9S once they found the way to track it are banned? I'm seriously looking for clarity on what your theory is, it's an interesting one

--------------------- MERGED ---------------------------

Yes, nearly 100 percent, except some fields like unknown data and content index.
If updating games through eshop checks installed ticket, maybe this will be one of the factors that leading to be banned..

I tried to update a game I got from CIAngel (MHXX) to be specific and it won't work because the game is on the JP shop only. I'm also not banned

 

[angelus kun]

Hmm it seems like nintendo Will make another maitenance to their servers soo Watch out

 

[nitroBW]

Hmm it seems like nintendo Will make another maitenance to their servers soo Watch out

for anyone who is too lazy to look it up

 

[MushGuy]

I believe it was the Friday and Saturday before the bans. Btw they are NOT banned (yet)
Just so I'm clear, your theory is that people who updated to B9S on day one won't be banned because Nintendo didn't have the ability to track B9S, and then everyone who said on A9LH and also all those who updated to B9S once they found the way to track it are banned? I'm seriously looking for clarity on what your theory is, it's an interesting one

--------------------- MERGED ---------------------------


I tried to update a game I got from CIAngel (MHXX) to be specific and it won't work because the game is on the JP shop only. I'm also not banned

OK, to explain my theory again, the people who got banned got detected as using unsigned CFW, regardless of entry point, such as A9LH, MenuHax, NinjHax, etc.; and even if some of them were updating to B9S, which could have been sometime after the launch day of SigHax, they were still caught when Nintendo was detecting them while they were online at a specific date and time. The ones who did not get banned were most likely those who updated to B9S as soon as it was released because after that could not be detected as using unsigned CFW by the time Nintendo started searching for CFW users with unsigned code. The A9LH users that you mentioned apparently didn't get caught because they happened to be offline at the same time Nintendo was searching for online CFW users, which could have been another likely factor. In other words, they dodged the bullet. You can correct me if I'm wrong on that one.

 

[delete12345]

TIL I'm Neo, dodging many bullets...

 

[MushGuy]

View attachment 88648
for anyone who is too lazy to look it up

When was their last maintenance schedule?

 

[nitroBW]

OK, to explain my theory again, the people who got banned got detected as using unsigned CFW, regardless of entry point, such as A9LH, MenuHax, NinjHax, etc.; and even if some of them were updating to B9S, which could have been sometime after the launch day of SigHax, they were still caught when Nintendo was detecting them while they were online at a specific date and time. The ones who did not get banned were most likely those who updated to B9S as soon as it was released because after that could not be detected as using unsigned CFW by the time Nintendo started searching for CFW users with unsigned code. The A9LH users that you mentioned apparently didn't get caught because they happened to be offline at the same time Nintendo was searching for online CFW users, which could have been another likely factor. In other words, they dodged the bullet. You can correct me if I'm wrong on that one.

Hmm... them detecting CFW is unlikely imo. Rather they checked for the game you were playing and your installed title key for unknown IDs, atleast that's what I think, because it would be easier for them. And since we don't know when nintendo started to collect data, we can't be sure about updating to b9s making anything safer :/
They can't detect A9LH nor B9S and neither change anything about luma and/ or installed titles.

 

[Grifnelle]

OK, to explain my theory again, the people who got banned got detected as using unsigned CFW, regardless of entry point, such as A9LH, MenuHax, NinjHax, etc.; and even if some of them were updating to B9S, which could have been sometime after the launch day of SigHax, they were still caught when Nintendo was detecting them while they were online at a specific date and time. The ones who did not get banned were most likely those who updated to B9S as soon as it was released because after that could not be detected as using unsigned CFW by the time Nintendo started searching for CFW users with unsigned code. The A9LH users that you mentioned apparently didn't get caught because they happened to be offline at the same time Nintendo was searching for online CFW users, which could have been another likely factor. In other words, they dodged the bullet. You can correct me if I'm wrong on that one.

That sounds interesting but at the same time, if there was anyone who had a day one instal and got banned it wouldn't work. Also the people who got banned on A9LH who haven't been online in a long time.

 

[nitroBW]

When was their last maintenance schedule?

I think it was monday last week

 

[KingArthurVI]

How can I check to see if I'm banned if I don't have an NNID linked and have 0 friends on my friend list?

 

[nitroBW]

How can I check to see if I'm banned if I don't have an NNID linked and have 0 friends on my friend list?

The amount of friends in your list doesn't matter. You can check by going online in a game too, maybe there are other ways idk

 

[delete12345]

The amount of friends in your list doesn't matter. You can check by going online in a game too, maybe there are other ways idk

This is my fastest way. Don't want others to think that I'm actually playing my 3DS in the office at work.

 

[Treeko]

That sounds interesting but at the same time, if there was anyone who had a day one instal and got banned it wouldn't work. Also the people who got banned on A9LH who haven't been online in a long time.

That'd be me both my day 1 B9S 3DS's got banned

 

[Grifnelle]

That'd be me both my day 1 B9S 3DS's got banned

Aha okay so then this theory is disproven then

 

[Toni456]

Hmm... them detecting CFW is unlikely imo. Rather they checked for the game you were playing and your installed title key for unknown IDs, atleast that's what I think, because it would be easier for them. And since we don't know when nintendo started to collect data, we can't be sure about updating to b9s making anything safer :/
They can't detect A9LH nor B9S and neither change anything about luma and/ or installed titles.

And lets not forget eshop has the ability to check title id's AND invalid (illegal) tickets, that is proven due to users pirated DLC going missing after launching eshop and the fact it can check if a game is installed and even available updates that most likely sends all installed title id information to nintendo and reports back if an update is available.

 

[Treeko]

Aha okay so then this theory is disproven then

The O3DS was previously banned in the SuMo ban so I had to use a semi-public LFCS to unban myself was expecting to be banned which it did get, the other N3DS was my main system and got the ban too so that was ggs to me.