UPDATE: Regarding the recent 3DS banwave

fb-3ds-400x400.jpg

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 !
 

pcs3rd

Well-Known Member
Newcomer
Joined
Jan 10, 2017
Messages
73
Trophies
0
Location
The Absolute freak'n MIDDLE OF NOWHERE.
Website
www.google.com
XP
88
Country
United States
How is 70 just as bad as 40, your age or financial situation doesn't matter here it's pure mathematics there's easily 30 price difference. Also the users have no right to be angry, they chose to break the tos and risked getting banned and everything would give the community fuel, anti piracy? Shit we have to crack it. Anti online cheat? Shit definitely have to crack that shit. There is a big example of the latter with ntr cheats, the creator didn't want online cheating so he designed his plugins and stuff so it wouldn't work but people found a way around it. They also don't have to give warning but it's simple and should have been seen as something that will happen eventually and everybody that was here and followed the Pokemon bans knew that Nintendo was getting stricter which is still not as strict as say Sony or xbox.
...This is why lots of people like pc's- microsoft can't ban a desktop... I wish it were the same for consoles
 

lonewolf08

Well-Known Member
Member
Joined
Feb 4, 2016
Messages
427
Trophies
0
Age
33
XP
315
Country
United States
...This is why lots of people like pc's- microsoft can't ban a desktop... I wish it were the same for consoles
But it's not so if your banned, unban yourself and get over it I guess not much else you can do consoles well most likely always be like this. Also where do you live?

Umm... maybe where you are. 3DS game carts are $40 or less here.

And where is this here? Is it online or local and if local where.
 

pcs3rd

Well-Known Member
Newcomer
Joined
Jan 10, 2017
Messages
73
Trophies
0
Location
The Absolute freak'n MIDDLE OF NOWHERE.
Website
www.google.com
XP
88
Country
United States
But it's not so if your banned, unban yourself and get over it I guess not much else you can do consoles well most likely always be like this. Also where do you live?



And where is this here? Is it online or local and if local where.
I live eastern time zone (U.S.)
 

MadMageKefka

Well-Known Member
Member
Joined
Apr 28, 2016
Messages
1,672
Trophies
0
Age
36
Location
World of ruin
XP
1,915
Country
United States
I've never bought any full titles by myself. At gamestop, target and walmart, everything is about 60-70 and if im lucky, 39.99 (unless you use ebay or redbox?)
Wow.... that's an INSANE price. I'm sorry to hear that, honestly.....


And where is this here? Is it online or local and if local where.
Local stores. Walmart, Gamestop, Target, whatever really. USA, Massachusetts. Kind of suprised to hear of higher costs elsewhere in the USA. The cost of living is INSANE in my area. Good to know at least games are cheap.
 

Alejos87

Member
Newcomer
Joined
Jun 20, 2017
Messages
10
Trophies
0
Age
44
XP
52
Country
Argentina
lol. yea sure. I just emailed nintendo about it. goona see what they seay other than "people pirate software. poeple break tos. we hate modders"

Did u fill better saying that things to me? i just want to know the news about the banwave and i m not from US, i don´t writte good in english and i just try to focus in that conversation.

Did you always trate the people in that way? i think u need therapy
 

MadMageKefka

Well-Known Member
Member
Joined
Apr 28, 2016
Messages
1,672
Trophies
0
Age
36
Location
World of ruin
XP
1,915
Country
United States
Did u fill better saying that things to me? i just want to know the news about the banwave and i m not from US, i don´t writte good in english and i just try to focus in that conversation.

Did you always trate the people in that way? i think u need therapy
He was making a joke. He doesn't need therapy, you need English lessons. If you wanna learn about the ban wave, there are 478 pages of info to read. Have fun. Pretty much everything we know is in the OP. If you have a specific question, feel free to ask, but to expect us to keep bringing new information every second of every day is insane. Nintendo isn't saying anything and there haven't been any more banwaves since the first. Kinda hard to figure anything out when nothing is happening, ya know?
 
  • Like
Reactions: wormdood

Alejos87

Member
Newcomer
Joined
Jun 20, 2017
Messages
10
Trophies
0
Age
44
XP
52
Country
Argentina
He was making a joke. He doesn't need therapy, you need English lessons. If you wanna learn about the ban wave, there are 478 pages of info to read. Have fun. Pretty much everything we know is in the OP. If you have a specific question, feel free to ask, but to expect us to keep bringing new information every second of every day is insane. Nintendo isn't saying anything and there haven't been any more banwaves since the first. Kinda hard to figure anything out when nothing is happening, ya know?

Ty for the lessons! I will keep it in mind, btw i don´t know how to writte some words but i understand all that u say, i wandering if u know spanish as well as my english? And i was asking about new information cuz some guy says that he was unbanned 2 days before the banwave and i didn´t hear other casses (is it correct? or is it cases? or something like that?). I ll not going to writte all the time for new updates.

P.S: I know he was jokeing but it´s not the way i think
 
Last edited by Alejos87,

wormdood

pirate booty inspector
Member
Joined
Jan 3, 2014
Messages
5,256
Trophies
2
Age
38
Location
behind a parental advisory sticker
XP
4,188
Country
United States
Ty for the lessons! I will keep it in mind, btw i don´t know how to writte some words but i understand all that u say, i wandering if u know spanish as well as my english? And i was asking about new information cuz some guy says that he was unbanned 2 days before the banwave and i didn´t hear other casses (is it correct? or is it cases? or something like that?). I ll not going to writte all the time for new updates.
if your friend was banned in this ban wave and is now unbanned then he did that himself
nintendo has not and will likely never reverse(d) one of these banns
 
Last edited by wormdood,

MadMageKefka

Well-Known Member
Member
Joined
Apr 28, 2016
Messages
1,672
Trophies
0
Age
36
Location
World of ruin
XP
1,915
Country
United States
Ty for the lessons! I will keep it in mind, btw i don´t know how to writte some words but i understand all that u say, i wandering if u know spanish as well as my english? And i was asking about new information cuz some guy says that he was unbanned 2 days before the banwave and i didn´t hear other casses (is it correct? or is it cases? or something like that?). I ll not going to writte all the time for new updates.

P.S: I know he was jokeing but it´s not the way i think
The person who was unbanned was likely banned for a different reason than everyone else in the ban wave. Nintendo has told people from both this banwave, and the pokemon banwave, that the bans would be permanent. I have been very active in the unbanning community since the start and I can assure you that no one that was part of either banwave has been unbanned. I'm sorry, but it's permanent.
 

RustInPeace

Samurai Cop
Member
Joined
Oct 13, 2014
Messages
5,940
Trophies
1
Age
31
XP
5,119
Country
United States
The person who was unbanned was likely banned for a different reason than everyone else in the ban wave. Nintendo has told people from both this banwave, and the pokemon banwave, that the bans would be permanent. I have been very active in the unbanning community since the start and I can assure you that no one that was part of either banwave has been unbanned. I'm sorry, but it's permanent.

I was unbanned Monday night and the customer service reps at first said it was temporary, subsequent calls said it was permanent, yet it got unbanned after 28 days. The 28 day mark is coming up soon for people banned at the beginning of this banwave, so I'm hoping others get this lucky. If not, ah well, it's proof at least for me that good things really do happen to those who wait.
 

MadMageKefka

Well-Known Member
Member
Joined
Apr 28, 2016
Messages
1,672
Trophies
0
Age
36
Location
World of ruin
XP
1,915
Country
United States
I was unbanned Monday night and the customer service reps at first said it was temporary, subsequent calls said it was permanent, yet it got unbanned after 28 days. The 28 day mark is coming up soon for people banned at the beginning of this banwave, so I'm hoping others get this lucky. If not, ah well, it's proof at least for me that good things really do happen to those who wait.
I think the SuMo bans are proof enough that Nintendo isn't bluffing when they say permanent. Don't get me wrong though, I would love to find out I'm wrong and they are temporary, but that's a pretty slim chance....
 

RustInPeace

Samurai Cop
Member
Joined
Oct 13, 2014
Messages
5,940
Trophies
1
Age
31
XP
5,119
Country
United States
I think the SuMo bans are proof enough that Nintendo isn't bluffing when they say permanent. Don't get me wrong though, I would love to find out I'm wrong and they are temporary, but that's a pretty slim chance....

With a presumably hard stance, how come I got unbanned then? Their reasoning is the same broad generalization, "use of unauthorized software," they made it clear on the second and third phone calls I made after that console was banned that it's permanent, and they would not, could not reverse it. 28 days after the ban, it got reversed. Maybe, just maybe the guy on the first phone call that said it was temporary, was actually right, but was not made clear to probably bluff that it's permanent, to discourage "use of unauthorized software," as in using CFW. Maybe they're lenient on Pokemon only players that were not part of the SuMo banwave. I don't know, what I know for certain is this console got unbanned, and I'm enjoying that more than before it even got banned.
 

Site & Scene News

Popular threads in this forum

General chit-chat
Help Users
  • No one is chatting at the moment.
    LeoTCK @ LeoTCK: yes for nearly a month i was officially a wanted fugitive, until yesterday when it ended